Twelve Days of Torture
by Dragonslayer527
Summary: [COMPLETE]Twelve days before Christmas Raven receives a gift from a secret admirer. And another the next day. And the next. Who's the admirer? [Raven x ]
1. Pear Tree

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Disclaimer: I'm only putting this on chapter 1, I do not own the Teen Titans, or the Twelve Days of Christmas, or any other Christmas songs I may write. Only the plot.

Summary: Twelve days before Christmas Raven receives a gift from a secret admirer. And another the next day. And the next. Whose the admirer? Raven/?

Chapter 1: Pear Tree

__

On the first day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
A partridge in a pear tree.

Raven tapped her fingers in rhythm to the Christmas music blasting from another room of the tower. Her eyes moved across the page of her latest book not noticing her moving fingers.

She was used to the music by now. In an effort to learn all the traditions of the holiday Starfire had insisted on blasting all the Christmas music she could get her hands on. This had been going on all month.

She paused and looked up at the calendar tacked to her wall. Only twelve days left and she wouldn't have to hear it anymore. Twelve more days it would be Christmas and she could revel in silence once again.

Raven tuned the lyrics of the drowning music back in. It was "Rocking Around The Christmas Tree". She rolled her eyes getting a mental image of the glittery Starfire probably dancing downstairs.

She shut her book silently and placed in back on her bed. Ever since her run in with Malchior she had tried to be out of her room more. With a decision made she wrapped her cloak around her body and made for her bedroom door.

—————————————————————————————————

She passed blinking lights as she made her way down the stairs. Holiday garland and decorations reflected the Christmas lights Starfire had pinned up everywhere.

Raven vaguely wondered where the girl had gotten so many lights. They ran over each doorway and at the base of the ceiling. There wasn't a room, save the titans bedrooms, that was free of Starfire's decorations.

The psye didn't mind too much. It made the tower much more lively. Starfire had even chosen colors to coordinate with the Titans favorite hangouts. There was purple garland above her room and certain places she loved to read. She didn't know Starfire could be so observant.

Cyborg had blue around his door and around the garage. Robin had red over his door and around the evidence room door (Robin forbid anything placed in there). Beast Boy had green about his room and some in the living room near his precious game station.

Raven entered the living room and was hit with a dramatic wave of music. The Christmas tree rock was still going on. Starfire was floating around the titans giant tree placing ornaments ever so often on the pine branches.

A little off Cyborg and Beast Boy were involved in a heated racing game. Watching on the couch was their leader Robin.

Raven moved toward into the kitchen suddenly having a craving for some herbal tea and chips. She heard the game music had stopped when Starfires music changed over. There was a little rustling in the living room as well.

She paid it no mind snatching a small bag of chips and grabbing her tea cup.

When she had reentered the living room the only one there was Starfire humming gently to a slow music lulliby.

"Hey Star," She greeted moving closer and sipping at her tepid tea.

"Hmm? Oh hello friend Raven! Are you enjoying these festivities?" She grinned and pulled slightly at a red bow tied into her hair.

"Yes, you did a very nice job." Raven rewarded her best friend with a rare smile.

"Thank you, and I have finally done the buying of gifts," The Tameranian pointed to under the tree. Along side Ravens gifts to the titans were brightly wrapped orange boxes. Four, one for each of them. They almost matched Ravens darkly wrapped ones.

"Good. Where'd the other three go?" Raven asked finally motioning to the vacant living area.

"Umm I believe Beast Boy had to take a break of resting and Cyborg decided to visit the garage. Robin went to get his gifts for under the tree." She smiled and right on cue bustle returned to the titan living room.

Robin and Beast Boy entered down the main stairs and a few minutes after Cyborg came back from the garage door. Raven raised an eyebrow but decided not to comment on their times arrival.

"I'm going to go get my book, I'll be right back down." Raven informed Starfire. The girl hummed in agreement and turned back to prefecting the evergreen.

Raven set down her tea and started back to her room finishing her bag of chips.

—————————————————————————————————

Raven could see something perched in front of her door going down the hall. Her steps quickened subconsciously wanting to know what it was.

Ten feet.

Five feet.

Raven looked down at the object. An eyebrow raised perfectly in confusion.

There was a small bushel looking thing sitting in front of her. Some kind of potted plant she surmised. Raven bent down a little to get a closer look. She spotted a white piece of parchment protruding from the foot tall shrubbery.

Snatching it she recognized it was a card. Carefully she looked it over, the envelope held no name.

Curiously she tore opened the envelope and pulled a typed white sheet from it. Her fingers nimbly unfolded it and turned it over to read.

__

Raven,

It's a pear tree.

-An Unnamed Admirer

The girl rolled her eyes expecting someone like Beast Boy to jump out and yell "surprise". The moments lengthened and the hall was silent. Still kneeling she pressed the note closer looking for a hint of who might have written it.

Something poked her hand sharply. Gasping Raven fell back landing on her behind grumbling un-merrily. She dropped the note and was now watching a bird emerge from the plant.

It wasn't until it unfurled its wings did she realize what it was.

A baby raven.

She reached out to touch its sleek black wings. It pecked affectionately at her hand as she passed her hand over its small body.

Raven craned her neck again looking down the hall. Christmas music was still playing but there was no hint of anyone else in the hall.

Carefully she picked up the bird and placed it on her shoulder. It nipped at her cape.

She looked down at the named pear tree. With a swift wave of her hand it floated up and into her room. Her door shifted open and she stepped into her haven. The person hadn't been in there, everything was untouched.

Deep in thought she moved to her bed and sat down.

The gift had gotten there while she was down getting food. There were three males in the tower who could have possibly placed it here. It had a familiar feel so she could conclude it was one of the three.

All of which had been absent from the living room earlier.

The raven hopped down her cape to peck at her hand again.

"Who are you from?" She spoke aloud to the dark creature. It hopped innocently again as if indicating an answer.

Raven sighed. She hated riddles.

Why had they given her a pear tree and a raven? She stroked the bird again contemplating symbolism.

She didn't want to think about the fact this could be real, that it wasn't some joke. The physic groaned at the thought of either Beast Boy, Cyborg or Robin liking her. Before she could stop herself she grabbed her previously neglected book.

Standing up the bird let out a sharp cry as it fell off her lap. Raven headed for her bedroom door again. She needed a distraction. She was not about to contemplate romantic feelings about her titan counterparts.

—————————————————————————————————

Back in the living room everything was like it had been. Except Starfire had retired from her tree post and was now urging the game system junkies on.

No one looked up when Raven entered. She had been so trained on the thought one of them would slip up. One of them would just pay her a little too much attention.

Mumbling to herself she made her way toward the couch noticing the music had been turned down a bit.

"Hey Rae, haven't seen ya all day." Beast Boy added when she sat down beside Starfire on the couch.

"Not surprising," She barbed back taking into note he was the first to speak.

"Yea Star said you'd be right back, you sure took a while," Cyborg turned slightly addressing her. Before she could catch his expression the next round of gaming had started and the two boys spun back around to watch the screen.

Interesting.

"Had to find my book," She supplied knowing they weren't listening anymore.

"What are you reading?" Robin turned to look at her.

"Angels and Demons," She tried to read Robin's expression. If it wasn't for that damned mask...

"Good book," The masked leader smiled before turning to watch the match.

Raven grinded her teeth. Why was it when she needed to find who paid her more attention all **three** of them did?

"Actually I think I'll just grab some food and then meditate," Raven murmered more to herself as she grabbed her book and got back up. Knowing someone in the same room as you is sending you gifts is unnerving. Especially when she didn't know which one of them it was.

She grabbed a bag of crackers hoping it would suffice the bird.

With a whirl of her cloak she disappeared up the stairs. Raven completely missed the boy's amused smirk as he heard her stomp up the stairs.

—————————————————————————————————

"It's all giving me a headache," Raven growled pacing her room. It had been a good three hours. Three hours of contemplating and attempted meditating.

The raven she had nick named Ebony pecked at the crumbs of leftover crackers.

She had observed the pear tree from every angle looking for even a speck of lint that would lead her to an answer. There was nothing. The well thought out-ness of it almost made her exclude Beast Boy.

But there was the fact they had their fare share of 'moments'.

Her head throbbed again a black tendril swished a few books off a shelf. This bugged her more than it should.

She eyed the bed wanting desperatly to rid herself of such foolish thoughts. She needed to stop this. Whoever this person was, she couldn't let them get to her.

She'd simply act like nothing was up and see if any of them would slip up.

Raven tucked a strand of violet hair behind her ear. Ebony hopped across the bed away from her as she sat down.

"I guess I'll be keeping a secret pet as well," She sighed and pulled off the broach holding her cape on. She may have sympathysed with Robin, obsessive mystery work took a lot out of you.

Tomorrow, she'd forget about one stupid gift. Tomorrow Raven would go about in the Christmas spirit forgetting the headache a simple note gave her.

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****

New story! And first one I've done in third person I couldn't help using this over done plot line. There will be twelve chapters with slightly altered gifts for the holidays. Go ahead and guess away at the pairing, it won't be revealed until the end. I'm pretty sure I know which one I'm choosing, but hey I may change it...

Reviews and flames welcome, as long as you don't flame me about the coupling hinted at within the story.

Oh and I'm going to sound dumb asking but what does 'Highly Recommend' on reviews actually do?

-Dragonslayer527


	2. Turtle Doves

**Chapter 2: Turtle Doves**

_On the second day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree._

The morning met Raven uneventfully. The blasting music had been toned down today but was still present as she finally made her way out of her room.

The Christmas lights were still on making her wonder if Starfire ever took the time to turn them off. Suddenly she was relieved the city picked up their utility bill.

Raven had had a very fitful sleep. No meditation made it just that much harder. The raven has insisted on hopping up every once in a while to perch on her head and peck at her amethyst hair. She made a mental post-it to get a cage today.

"Morning!" An unusually perky Beast Boy met the girl as she ventured into the kitchen. He had a red chef hat on and was working with something at the stove.

"Morning," She replied in her calmest voice moving over to get herself some tea. The caffeine would do her good.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched the green boy. He rotated the pan professionally paying careful attention to what he was cooking.

"What, break your tofu streak?" She asked finally.

Beast Boy turned his head slightly as if the mere suggestion had sent him into shock. "Never! It's a new tofu product, I'm going to see if I can fool Cyborg into believing its real bacon and eggs."

He turned around for a second giving her a wide smile. For a second she examined him again. Her eyes traveled over his features, his green hair...

Her gaze paused a second. There was something green mingled in his hair poking out just below the hat. When he turned back around to his food she could still slightly see it.

It looked like a leaf. She smirked to herself putting the puzzle together. She put her tea cup back down on the counter and turned full attention to the cook.

"Beast Boy?"

At her addressing him Beast Boy turned fully around a small questioning smile in place. "Yes?"

"What's this?" In one swift motion she stepped forward and pulled the green bit from under his hat. He seemed to cringe a moment probably expecting pain of some sort.

"That looks like a piece of garland, must have fallen into my hair," He grinned and Raven looked down at her fingers, and glared. It was a shiny piece of green garland. Now she had been wrong and made a fool of herself. "You ok this morning?" The boy raised an eyebrow ignoring the food Raven could tell was burning.

"Fine," she muttered more angry at herself. She needed to stop jumping at conclusions. Things always had a way of working themselves out.

Beast Boy watched her a moment longer. It made her want to pull out a snide remark, but decided not to. "So in that case, could you set the table? The titans will be down soon."

She nodded finished with being in the same room with this one boy. She sighed quietly as he turned back to see his burning food.

She summoned some plated and utensils with her powers and grabbed her tea. Walking past a screeching Beast Boy she made her way to the table. There was some clanging from behind her as Beast Boy had started mourning the loss of his tofu.

Raven had finished placing all dishes down when Starfire came prancing down. Still in high spirits she twirled a little with the music bobbing her head.

"Morning friend Raven!" She greeted over the music. This morning she had a lime green bow tied into her hair.

"Morning Star, Beast Boy's cooking and it should be done soon."

There was another crash and shriek from the kitchen.

"Or not," Raven added rolling her eyes and adjusting her cloak.

"Raven, today I would like to venture out and see the Sand ta in the mall. Would you come with?" Starfire fidgeted a little picking a place to sit.

Raven racked her brain for possible conjugations and meanings of "Sand ta". After a moment it hit her.

"You mean Santa?"

Starfire nodded vigorously sitting down at the table, Raven took the seat beside her.

"Sure I'll go." Raven jumped at the chance to get out of the tower. Maybe it would help her calm her thoughts. It was always amusing to see Starfire in new situations.

"Glorious!" She smiled radiantly.

There was another ruckus and the two turned to see a scorched Beast Boy stepping out of the kitchen. In both hands he had balanced plated of food.

"Bon appetite!" He grinned and made his way toward the girls with the plate of steaming burnt tofu, Raven could feel a headache coming on.

—————————————————————————————————

"That was very interesting, I did not know such fat men did such laborious jobs!" Starfire giggled floating just above the ground. Raven shook her head in much better spirits.

Starfire had insisted on meeting the Santa in Jump City mall. She had also made the mistake of asking him a million questions.

The man, clearly unsettled by the floating alien was nervous at first. But there had been little smiling children around who encouraged the story. The mall Santa had been forced into an hour long story on who he was, where he lived and how the elves made toys. By the end he had been in full character smiling and laughing as he gave everyone candy canes.

Starfire had paid rapt attention the entire time sitting in with the group of smiling cheery children while they all heard the story. Raven couldn't help but paying slight attention, she had read the basics about Earth holidays and this "Santa", but it was interesting to hear the intricacy in the story that made it work.

"Yea," she answered back to her smiling counterpart. "Ready to go back?"

"Oh yes, I must share this story with the others!" Her happiness made the girl subconsciously float higher up.

With that the two girls ascended into the air heading back to Titans tower.

—————————————————————————————————

Back inside Raven noticed something amiss. The Christmas music that she had become accustom to had been shut off. The only sound left in the tower was the video game sound track.

"Star, what happened to your music?" She asked the girl next to her. Starfire looked up from biting at her still wrapped candy cane.

"Oh you are right, I must fix this at once!" She floated up and flew away in search of her cd player.

Raven shrugged to herself and grabbed some more crackers and a dish of water from the kitchen. Beast Boy and Cyborg barely noticed as she started up the stairs.

Over their game system she could now hear Starfire telling the Santa story to Robin as she headed for her room. He kept trying to interrupt her to get away, but Starfire wasn't to be stopped.

She was watching the balanced water as she walked toward her door. At the last moment before she pressed in her code her foot hit something. She stumbled a bit but succeeded in not spilling much water.

She glared down at whatever she had hit.

Her breath caught a moment. It was a small brown box with a few small holes in one side. There were no markings or anything to indicate who they were from, but she knew.

Cursing to herself she angrily pressed in her code, when her door slipped open she kicked the box into her room. Something rustled and Raven hoped she had broken whatever it was.

Pacing herself Raven brought the food over to Ebony who was curled up on a space on her bed. She left the open crackers and water beside the sleeping raven and turned back to the box.

The walked over to it and kneeled down daring herself to open it.

Finally her curiosity got to her. There was a fold part at the end that was easiest to open. She pulled it apart and the box was opened. For a second she thought maybe there wasn't anything in it.

Then there was a small scraping type sound. She tipped the box so whatever was it in slid out.

To Raven's surprise two white birds landed on her carpet. They were larger than the raven, full-grown maybe? Each of them had a green bow around their neck. They cooed softly and began to explore the area around them.

The physic groaned as she noticed a small bit of paper tied to one of their necks. Carefully she slid it away from the birds neck and unraveled it in her fingers. Her teeth gritted at the same typed script as before.

Raven,

They are doves, did you think you were getting only one gift?

-An admirer

She looked back down at the birds. Raven sure as hell wasn't keeping any more birds. Carefully she refolded the note and got up to place it with the other on her book case.

Did her admirer have a thing for birds? And what was with the pear tree?

She sighed loudly. "He must enjoy watching me squirm." Raven paced back over to the white birds, they clashed terribly with her room decor. And the bows-

Raven stopped. She'd seen a bow like that already today. She remembered this morning Starfire messing with a green bow in her hair. It had looked exactly like this one.

She immediately changed directions heading back out of her room. She needed to talk to Starfire.

—————————————————————————————————

"Oh this?" Starfire touched the green in her red hair. Raven nodded trying to seem casual, she was not about to let her nerves get frazzled over it.

"Cyborg found them in a Christmas box, he said they would look nice in my hair," She grinned obviously pleased someone had noticed.

Cyborg?

Raven tried to push down her conscious. She wasn't going to foolishly jump out like she had this morning. She had to be cunning, and nonchalant.

"Where is Cyborg?" Raven asked trying to slow her words to a dull monotone.

"I think he is, video gaming,"

Right. Raven chided herself for not thinking.

"Thanks Star, and forget we ever had this conversation," She added as an afterthought. Starfire smiled confused for a moment before nodding. Raven started for the stairs down to the living room in search of Cyborg.

She ended up floating down the stairs in her haste. Consciously she was lost deep in thought. It could mean two things. Either it was Cyborg, or someone set it up to _look _like Cyborg.

But if it _was_ Cyborg what exactly would she do about it?

She mused cursing him to the depths of hell for giving her presents, and at that birds.

But he acted like a brother to her most of the time. Or was she mistaken?

Not watching where she was going she smacked right into someone. Fumbling back Robin grabbed her arm to keep her from falling.

"Sorry," Raven gently pulled back her arm minding the physical touch.

"I guess we were both a little sidetracked, you ok?" The masked leader asked. He was watching her in that analyzing way.

"Fine," She dulled looking for a way away. Knowing Robin he'd try to engage her in a conversation on criminal leads or something since he had gotten away from Starfire.

"I heard about your daring trip to the mall today. I didn't know you had it in you Raven."

"You'd be surprised," Her tone was more snide and sarcastic. Her eyes quickly moved sideways trying to look around the boy. She hoped Robin hadn't noticed.

"In a hurry?" He asked a lazy smile now on his face.

Ravens eyes jumped back to his masked ones. She didn't know what to say, but she knew for sure this classified as suspicious behavior on her part.

"It's ok, the holidays got me rushing for everything as well," He stepped aside and Raven saw her exit. Robin had a gift for saving awkward conversations. "We'll all have go out sometime soon before all this Christmas stuff drives us crazy." With that he started up the stairs.

Raven waited for him to go before she moved toward the blasting music and video gamers. She made sure her breath was steady and mentally chanted to herself. Her hours of un-meditation were quickly catching up with her.

She came up on the couch and quickly sat down. The two tapped furiously on the small controllers making rude remarks to the other when they took the lead. She could hear a Christmas carol slowly drifting in from another room.

Raven decided to wait. They had to take a break sometime, and Cyborg always took the chance to engage her in a conversation.

To Raven's irritation it was fifteen consecutive games and forty-five minutes before her chance came.

"Break time," Cyborg got up and stretched, his winning comrade celebrating on the screen.

"Hey no fair you cheated!" Beast Boy cried standing up and pointing an accusatory finger at the metahuman.

"Yea whatever, I still beat you," He chided grinning at a crestfallen changeling.

"Mm well I got a new game, I'll go get it so I can whoop you at it." Beast Boy stuck out his tongue a second before scurrying away to get the new game from his bedroom.

Smiling Cyborg shook his head before turning to face Raven. "What's up Raven?"

"The Christmas spirit," She added carefully. Cyborg chuckled and shook his head.

"Yea I overhead Starfire talking about the mall Santa," He looked at her and she couldn't suppress a groan which made him chuckle.

"Hey where'd you get those ribbons you gave Star?" Raven asked after a sufficient amount of silence.

"Umm," The boy scratched his head and Raven made a mental note. "I found them in one of the Christmas boxes, figured Starfire might enjoy them. Why?"

"They're...nice," Raven spoke slowly making her choice of words precise. Cyborg grinned taking it as a complement.

"I'd have given you some had I known you liked that kind of thing," He laughed to himself causing Raven more of a headache. For all she knew it could be Cyborg just trying to mix her up.

Or, it could be a red-herring.

She heard Beast Boy nearing again. "Well I better go meditate." Cyborg nodded and Raven excused herself.

—————————————————————————————————

When Raven was tucked back in her room she had decided what to do with the two conspicously white birds.

She took their ribbons off and threw them out the window.

Maybe her admirer would see them and give up.

She turned and glared back at her dark room. Now to get a cage for Ebony...

—————————————————————————————————

He passed by one of the titan windows later that day. He heard a tapping that made him stop. Moving the colored garland he peered out the frosted glass.

A faintly recognizable white turtle dove pecked at the window.

The boy laughed to himself figuring she had gotten rid of the birds. It didn't weaken his resolve in the least, if anything, it was highly amusing.

**—————————————————————————————————Wow thanks for everyone who reviewed! I didn't know I'd get such great feedback. You'll get clues each chapter and eventually will be able to eliminate one of them. I've had guesses for each guy so I'm going to let someone down in the end, ah well. Thanks for reading, critiquing and flames welcome!**

**-Dragonslayer527**


	3. French Hens

**Chapter 3: French Hens**

_On the third day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me _

_Three French hens,  
Two turtledoves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree._

Raven awoke with a start. Her breath came raspy for a moment as she tried to put the pieces together. She had been dreaming.

It had been so vivid, but as she sat up in her bed the details were slipping away. She had been walking down a tower hall; there had been a song. Something that sounded so familiar, the words were-

There was a sharp noise to her right. Startled she rubbed at her eyes to pull in the needed light so she could see. She glanced over where she had heard the noise.

Ebony pecked at the cage bars insistent on getting out. Raven rolled her eyes at her jumpiness. Awake enough she crawled out of bed and over to the raven's makeshift cage.

She had borrowed some fancy metal pieces from Cyborg's garage and used her powers to bend them into something to hold the bird. She wasn't about to go through another night of bird-pecking hell.

Raven slid up the door and Ebony hopped out and nipped at Ravens finger.

"Dumb bird," She hissed pulling her hand back offended.

There was a rap at her door. Her powers shot out a second out of surprise. The cage tipped over and a few books fell. She chanted slowly to herself before going to her door. Raven couldn't feel anyone at the other side when she neared the door.

She sighed to herself not mentally stable enough to deal with Beast Boy if he had decided to do a little "Ding, dong, ditch" this morning.

She pressed the door and it slid open. An empty, quiet morning hallway greeted her. For once there was no music, Starfire must not have been up.

Almost dreading Raven looked down.

And wished she had stayed in her room.

There was another box, smaller than the last but similar in structure.

"This better not be more birds," She grumbled to the empty hallway. Conjuring some black mist the box floated up to the girl.

Biting her lip slightly she pushed back her hair before taking the box in her hands. It was fairly heavy. She shook it slightly hearing something rustle. It didn't sound alive.

Raven glanced down the hallway again half-expecting to see someone, anyone. All that met her was the glimpse of sun that was beginning to rise through the far window.

With that she turned back around and walked back into her room, the door swished in place behind her.

Raven sat down on her bed, throwing the messy lavender covers aside. She watched Ebony try a few failures at flight on her carpet floor. Apparently the little bird was not a flier yet. Her fingers gripped at one side of the box.

Consciously she lifted the lid ready if it were some crazed bird again.

Instead three books were inside. They were thick volumes with brown hard covers. Raven conjured some light in her room to read them.

"French Hens cookbook?" She spoke aloud reading the title of the book. She picked it up to reveal another that looked identical except for the small script on the spine that pointed out it was volume two. The pulled it out as well sitting it on her bed and pulled out the last book.

It was volume three.

There was a white strip of paper acting as a bookmark poking out of the third book. Reluctantly she slid it out and unfolded it. There were the same typed words that had come to plague her.

_Raven,_

_Figure it out yet? _

_-An admirer_

She stared at the paper a whole five seconds before reacting.

"Figure **what** out?!" She growled holding the paper tightly memorizing the words. When they were forever book marked in her mind she floated the paper over to join the others.

She stacked the three books again. So now she had three French Hen Cookbooks. If she were willing to forgive the birds she wouldn't forgive a stupid present like this.

She took inventory on her gifts: _A pear tree and a raven, Two doves, Three French Hen Cookbooks..._

One, two three-

She flipped through the first and second books quickly making sure they were cookbooks. Pages of food and directions looked back at her, as they should. The first two days she had some kind of clue.

She looked back at the empty box to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

There was nothing there. Disgruntled now she picked up the books to put them with her others in the bookcase. Stupid or not she could never toss out a book.

She had put the first two on the shelf between her spell book and Edgar Allen Poe collection when Ebony nipped at her bare feet. In surprise she dropped the third cookbook. It opened and laid spine up on her carpet.

"Why must you hate me so early in the morning?" She stared at the little raven a moment before retrieving the fallen book.

Something had fallen out of the opened page. It glittered on her carpet floor.

Her hand closed over it as she picked it up instead of the book. In her hand was a piece of red garland.

_Robin._

She stared at it a long while before picking up the book. Something else had slipped and was poking out of the corner of the book. Swiftly Raven pulled it out realizing it was garland, and blue. 

_Cyborg._

She tipped the book downwards and shook. Sure enough the last piece of garland fell out of the book. It's green and shimmering in the sporadic lighting of the room.

_Beast Boy._

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven coached herself realizing the reason for the flickering lights.

When her room lights had steadied she gathered the three colored stands in her hands. They were identical beside their color and about four inches long.

She hated this. This wasn't a clue; this was a gloat that she hadn't figured it out. When she found out who had done this she would-

If it were Beast Boy she would kill him, swift and justly. They had their moments but he knew the line. All those times he shot down his cocky attitude.

If it were Cyborg, well that would be weird. But she'd leave him disassembled with a warning to anyone that wanted to help.

And if it were Robin, she and Starfire would give him the pain not even Slade could produce…

Raven heard music start downstairs. Starfire had to be up. With force she shoved the last book onto its place on the shelf. She had decided a shower would do her good. Carelessly she threw the garland onto the carpet while making her way to the door in search of a shower.

* * *

Starfire watched Raven angrily tapping her fingers on the table.

"Friend, is something wrong?"

Ravens attention shot back to the girl beside her. They were the only two left in the tower, earlier the three guys had decided to go out and buy presents. It was much to Ravens distress she couldn't get at them today.

She had already contemplated killing all three of them and be done with it.

"Nothing's wrong Star. Did you see anyone up really early this morning?" Raven glanced at the clock, 5:34. The boys had been gone almost the entire day.

"Well I did go and wake Robin this morning, but he insisted on sleeping further, he had been up late." Starfire brushed back some of her hair, a red ribbon in place today.

"Oh," Raven added already sinking into her thoughts. Did this make Robin guiltier, or did it mean he couldn't possibly have left the gift?

She didn't want to think about if it was Robin. He was, after all Starfire's boy.

* * *

"So Titans I thought that tomorrow we would all go out and enjoy some of the holiday festivities." Robin addressed everyone when they were seated for dinner.

Raven strangely had volunteered to cook using her new book. Beast Boy had caught her first poking at her French Hens Volume two and asking why she had a cookbook. She had glared at him accusatory and refused to answer.

"Oh may we go see the Santa of Maul?" Starfire asked eagerly watching Robin with wide gleeful eyes. He smiled warmly at the girl.

"Sure, now let's dig in."

"I would be careful, Raven made it," Beast Boy added before anyone took a bite. Everyone stopped; they had thought Beast Boy made it because he was in the kitchen.

"Well at least I don't have to worry about it being tofu," Cyborg smiled in Raven's direction before bravely taking a big bite out of his chicken.

Everyone was watching Cyborg take the first bite. They were still weary of Ravens last dish that had ended up quite poisoned. But it had been only Beast Boy who ended up sick when he jumped at her food and ate a plateful.

After swallowing the meta-human looked up at his friends. "Raven this is…awesome, where'd you learn to cook so good?"

Raven pushed down her growing pride shrugging as if it was no big thing.

"Raven had a cookbook," Beast Boy explained grinning almost… knowingly?

"Friend where did you get such a magnificent book of cooking?" Starfire asked between bites of mustard covered mashed potatoes.

Raven paused a moment unsure of how to answer. The person who had given it to her was seated at this table. Beast Boy next to her was waiting, fork poised, with a small smile. Cyborg next to him was engulfing food, but his posture suggested he was still listening.

Raven turned slightly to Starfire getting a quick glance at Robin. He was eating the vegetables slowly as usual.

"I found it," She replied which wasn't exactly a lie. Starfire nodded sufficed and continued eating.

Raven stared down at her food before finally gripping a fork and trying her own creation.

* * *

He finished up his dinner enjoying the company of the other titans. Every once in a while when no one was watching he would take a glance at Raven. He noted with a smile she had used the cookbooks.

Raven raised her violet eyes and looked at him. He didn't feel panicked or caught; she had been looking at the other two male titans every once in a while.

He opened his mouth as if he was going to ask why she was staring.

Her gaze immediately moved back to her own food.

Raven was going to kill him when she found out it was him. He wondered how long until she put it together, he wasn't after all the best detective of all time.

* * *

**Yay, I love all my reviewers. Hope you enjoy the mess of clues everywhere. XD**

**Ooh and thanks ****Tiffwiff, I feel dumb now for not researching, so I'm going to apologize to everyone, the twelve days of Christmas is actually after Christmas. I kind of thought it was but there's more material to work with if their Christmas if coming up. So sorry if I confused anyone, but I am more knowledgeable now!**

**Yea I'll just go hide and feel dumb a moment more.**

**Keep them guesses coming; I love seein how everyone's putting together the clues.**

**-Dragonslayer527**


	4. Calling Birds

**Chapter 4: Calling Birds**

_On the fourth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree._

Ravens sleep was interrupted again. Her eyes opened to stare into the dark abyss of her room. She had been dreaming, the same dream as before. Concentrating a moment Raven tried to recall the words.

Some melody that had filled her dream was now lost far in her subconscious. To occur twice in a row it had to be important. Her powers sometimes created dreams that were meant to tell her things.

Quickly she sat up and folded her legs under her. Taking up her lotus position she closed her eyes.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..." She drawled off feeling herself rise into classic meditative pose. Her energy surrounded her body drawing out her thoughts.

She was going to chase the vanishing thoughts that had been in her dreams.

Raven found herself in the dark word that her own mind put together in a solid form. A few red eyed birds cawed at her return.

The world was just as she had left it, or so she thought. As soon as she started moving a twisted melody rose in the background. Raven stopped, and so did the music.

Quickly irked she started walking again. It was a slow rapturous melody she had never heard before. Raven walked faster down the brackish rock landscape. The music in her head sped up. With each step she found it getting louder.

She was in intelligence's territory she knew now. She recognized the particular look of the jagged rocks.

Raven heard a chorus start up with the notes. She was still too far away to interpret the words.

Something pricked her hand. Turning she threw a furious glance at the culprit, but there was nothing there. That only meant it had to be in the real world. The girl brushed it off eager to catch up with the dream.

There was another prick further up her arm this time. The groaned stopping. The music slowly began to fade away.

Looking up into the space like sky she willed herself out. Raven felt the familiar rush of her soul pulling out from inside her mind. There was a drop as she was quickly pushed back into her body.

Opening her eyes again the half-demon dropped back onto her bed. Angrily she turned to find Ebony fanning its wings on her arm.

"Damn bird, I almost had it," She hissed moving her arm making the raven fall onto her bed. Raven pushed back her hair and got off her bed. It was no use trying now, she was too unconnected to her subconscious.

—————————————————————————————————

"Wanna play Raven?" Beast Boy greeted her that afternoon when she had finally left her room. Him and Cyborg were at the game station just about to set up a new robot game.

Raven shook her head settling down on the couch. Beast Boys smile fell before he stuck his tongue out at the her and turned back around. Raven rolled her eyes.

She opened the book in her lap and let her eyes settle on the page. Though she looked to be reading her eyes hadn't moved from the word at the top of the page.

It was almost noon and no gift had arrived at her door. She didn't even let herself think for a second it was over.

So far she hadn't seen Robin today. That was suspicious since putting Slade away he shouldn't have had to spend as much time tracking leads. Of course she hadn't seen Starfire either, and there was much to be said about the _two_ of them missing.

"Hold on, I'll be right back," Cyborg paused the controller and got up from his well sought out post. Raven's eyes never moved from the page but her attention flickered toward the two.

"Man why do you always keep pausing the game and getting up?" Beast Boy whined as Cyborg started toward the stairs.

"What are you a detective?" Cyborg chucked to himself right about the stairs. Raven listened carefully taking note of the conversation.

"Yes I could be the mighty Sherlock Holmes! I could start by following that trail of garland." Somehow Beast Boy then had a magnifying glass and pretended to snoop around.

It took all of Ravens discipline not to look over near Beast boy. If there was garland, it might be something important, and if it was did it incriminate Beast Boy?

"On second thought I will play, if you have a third controller." Raven finally looked up from her book. It was desperate and out of character but if she could just get them out of the room for a few minutes...

"Yes!" Beast Boy grinned and Cyborg looked mildly shocked. The green boy scurried after Cyborg yelling over his shoulder he'd get the controller and be right back.

She waited a full minute after they had left. When she was sure they weren't near she threw down her book.

Getting up she moved over to where Beast Boy had been. Sure enough there was a trail of garland bits.

Raven bit at her lip recognizing the four inch pieces. She stepped toward them and quickly picked them up. She could feel her own aura around them.

They were the pieces she had gotten in the books. The ones she had left on the carpet in her room. She grit her teeth.

In her room. They had been in her room.

Forgetting her book and Beast Boy she rushed toward the stairs. Her cape blew after her as she made her way toward her room. One of them had been in her room.

She couldn't even count one of them out. Both Cyborg and Robin knew the codes for all the Titans bedrooms and Beast Boy had done the 'fly on the wall' thing a few times.

Turning down the hallway she spotted her door, it looked undisturbed. She wondered when exactly they would have gotten in without her noticing. Raven was almost at her door when the impossibly infuriating alarm started.

She stopped where she was. Raven had a duty to protect the city from whatever villains. That was always top priority.

Grounding her foot into the carpet she turned back around and headed back to the living room. She'd have to check her room when she got back. She dropped the garland pieces in a corner she could come back to.

—————————————————————————————————

Raven opened the car door and stepped out onto the Jump City street. Beast Boy got out after her while Cyborg set his T-car on its shut down sequence. Starfire was already floating near them with Robin.

Raven turned to spot out the villain. It wasn't hard, she simply had to follow the shrieking civilians. Currently a near-by bank was being robbed, so typical.

The titans grouped together and made their way toward the bank. Just as they got close the bank wall was blown out. When the smoke cleared the titans were looking at the armed Dr. Light.

"So we meet again?" The mad doctor hissed looking over the titans. He looked a second longer at the dark goddess remembered their earlier account.

"Titans, go!" Their leader called. That's all it took to get the team moving.

Starfire got there first throwing shimmering Star bolts toward Light. She missed and Dr. Light threw something in her direction which exploded in a giant flash of light.

"Let's see how well the Titans fight without sight!" He cackled at his own lame pun and tossed more of the light bombs at the Titans.

Raven shielded her eyes with her cape when the light erupted. When she was sure the blast had passed she fixed her cloak and turned to find the rest of the titans. Beast Boy, Starfire and Cyborg were clutching their eyes.

Beast Boy stumbled about crying he was blind. Starfire laid where she had fallen unable to determine what she should be doing. Cyborg groaned and squinted moving around using solely his robotic eye.

Raven turned around to find Robin already engaged in battle. Deciding to help she flew toward them. When Robin twisted around getting a blow to the Dr.'s stomach he spotted Raven.

Nodding the same way they communicated in the training room Raven got closer. Robin got him with his bow-staff across the back when Dr. Light was trying to hit him with a light bomb. Raven took the chance to envelop the doctor in her power and levitate him off the ground.

Carelessly she shook him upside down. He yelled profane words at Raven as his gadgets fell from his pockets onto the ground. When she was sufficed all his weaponry was gone she dropped him hard onto the cement.

The defeated villain groaned happy this encounter had not ended as ghastly as the last, even if he hadn't gotten away with any more money.

"We done?" She asked no one in particular controlling some wiring and wrapping it tightly around Dr. Light.

"Yea," Robin called moving towards the blinded Titans.

"Why can I not see anything?" Starfire cried, her hands in front of her face.

"Yea man, what'd he do!" Beast Boy howled stumbling about still.

Raven smirked at the pitiful bunch.

"Don't worry, the flash was only temporary blindness." Robin assured them helping up Starfire and leading her over to Raven.

"Can you fly Star home? I was going to drive the other two back." Robin asked pushing Star a little closer to where Raven stood.

"Sure," She put a hand on Starfire's shoulder to keep the girl from moving. Raven waited until Robin had the other two back into the T-car before trying to get Starfire home.

"Ok Starfire, I've got to fly you home."

"B-but," Starfire was stammering and had clamped onto Raven's arm.

"Star," Raven sighed tiredly. "It's fine, just imagine we're playing a game and I'm going to blindfold you and take you to the start line."

"Oo-ok." Starfire let her grip slacken and Raven conjured up her magic. She noticed the T-car was gone by now.

Halfway back to the tower Starfire regained most of her sight. When it had come back Starfire became hysterical and nearly fell from the sky. Raven cursed Robin for purposely leaving her with the distressed alien princess.

—————————————————————————————————

Raven walked up to her door feeling a familiar lump in her throat. All of the titans had regained their sight for the most part by the time she had gotten Starfire back. She had made the mistake of letting all three of the guys get back to the tower before her.

She saw something in front of her door as she neared. Another god forsaken box.

Her fists clenched as she summoned the box, angrily throwing it into her room ahead of herself.

When it landed on her carpet something shuffled and made a whistling noise.

"I swear, if it's more birds I'm going to..." She paced a few minutes contemplating.

Finally deciding it wasn't helping the situation she grabbed the box and sat back on her bed. Flipping open the lid she poured out whatever was inside.

Into her lap four little stuffed animals fell. They looked like ravens colored deep black. She picked the one up that had a little piece of parchment on it. Unraveling the paper she tilted it so she could read the script in the lighting.

Raven,

Being quite the detective aren't we?

-An Admirer

She paused paper still between her fingers. Hadn't Beast and Cyborg said something about a detective earlier?

What exactly was it? She pressed a finger to her temple trying to recall that morning.

It had been something about Cyborg leaving the room. He had asked Beast Boy if he were a detective and Beast Boy had said he was Sherlock Holms. Or was it Robin having overheard and used it as a fake clue? Or was it one of the two being obvious because they knew she would look to much into it and-

And where exactly was Robin this morning?

And what the hell was it with birds?!?Raven felt another giant headache emerging. She'd gotten four gifts and was no closer to figuring out who it was.

Raven picked up the four little ravens and noticed the other three had something around the necks. She gritted her teeth as she carefully untied each one. Left in her hands were the same three pieces of garland. Three different colors.

He was going to pay.

Growling as her anger flashed she grabbed the four ravens and the garland and stalked to her door. A few things were knocked over or blown up as her temper raged. Ebony cawed somewhere behind her.

Raven pushed open her door and viciously threw the objects out. They landed somewhere out in the hall producing chirping sounds. Great, they were chirping stuffed ravens. It may not have been helping the situation but it eased her anger a little.

She slammed the door knowing the noise rang throughout the tower. Raven slid to the ground her back pressed against the cold metal door breathing deeply.

After a while Ebony hopped over and began nipping at Ravens boots. Groaning she smacked her head against her metal door once.

"This is so aggravating," she spoke to no one.

—————————————————————————————————

Elsewhere in the tower he had heard the metallic slam. Curious he followed the sound and found himself nearing Ravens door. Quietly he moved closer catching sight of four birds on the hall floor along with the garland.

Smiling he quickly picked them up glimpsing at her door.

He heard a loud thump against it and for a moment panicked. He heard her voice and it sounded as though she were leaning against the door.

"This is so aggravating," Her voice was clear even though the metal.

Containing a chuckle he turned and quickly left from hall planning what further torture would meet Raven the next morning.

**—————————————————————————————————Wow reviews are awesome, thanks! I have chosen the admirer, aren't you all just _dying_ to know? (someone suggested 3 different endings, anyone interested there?) I'm planning more crime near the end somewhere, any particular villain anyone want to see?**

**I'm trying to update about every other day to make sure I stay motivated and get this finished before the holidays. Still, I really hated this chapter, it's so blah.**

**I love to see you all picking up on all the clues (and some I didn't even notice I put in there) XD. Review on your way out, thanks!**

**-Dragonslayer527**


	5. Golden Rings

**Chapter 5: Golden Rings**

_On the fifth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me__  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree._

Raven turned over, the purple bed sheets took a dive off the side of the bed. Ebony, who had managed to break free from the mangled wiring of a cage was caught under the sheets and cawed angrily.

Raven mumbled and shuffled some more in her bed.

Her dream started dissipating as the drowning melody had almost come to chorus. Gasping she sat up in her bed hearing a melody clearly in her mind.

Rubbing her eyes she turned her head a moment. There was still music, but it wasn't in her head...

In her haste she lost her usual poise and fumbled out of bed. The song that had haunted her for the last few days was playing through the tower.

Raven took a quick look at the digital clock across her room, it was far too early for Starfire to be up. Earliest she was up at 7, it was nearly two hours before that. Forgetting her cloak she rushed to the door. Pushing it open she stepped out determining the direction of the sound.

Walking down the hallway barefoot she followed the slow music. A females voice had started vocals, but she couldn't make out the words just yet.

That darkness of the early morning tower didn't bother the girl. She took the stairs down toward the living room following the sound almost blindly. It was close now, on the couch?

"On the fourth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me..."

She caught some of the lyrics as she rounded the couch. Summoning light to her fingertips the area around her lit up. Peering over, she saw Starfire's music playing. On top of the black portable stereo facing her was one of the stuffed Raven's she had thrown out of her room the previous night.

"...and a partridge in a pear tree."

Raven stopped dead and looked at the player listening intently. Had it just said pear tree? She had a pear tree, up in her room dying.

_"On the fifth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me__  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree."_

Raven hit the pause button on the cd. The song did say pear tree, and it was a gift.

She replayed the last stanza stopping it after each verse.

"Four calling birds," they had to be the four calling raven toys.

"Three French hens," the French Hen's cookbooks.

"Two turtle doves," she had gotten two doves.

"And a partridge in a pear tree," a pear tree and a raven.

"True love?" She scoffed as the song continued playing on. She quickly filled in all the pieces. A gift each day, just like this song. Each time it would be something similar to the song lyrics.

Raven had noted the fifth day was golden rings. She grumbled to herself, she did not need to be getting jewelry now. Pressing stop she quickly pulled out the red designed cd to find the title of the song.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas," She memorized the title before really reading it. "**Twelve Days**?" Raven choked out, she could feel a headache coming on. She did mental subtraction, after today she'd have seven more days.

Closing the player she gripped the cd, making sure to hold it through the center hole and made her way back toward her room. She needed to listen to this song and see what _other_ gifts she would be getting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Raven made it back to her door to find it open. Before she could jump to conclusions intelligence quaintly reminded her she had never closed it behind her in her haste.

Sighing she made it back into her room. Only when she made it to her bed did her anger catch back up to her. She dropped the cd to her floor to prevent herself from subconsciously breaking it. There on her bed in a small amethyst velvet case was the fifth present.

Stepping over her sheets she snatched up the box. As much as she didn't want to see five golden rings she flipped open the small box.

Gasping her eyes met five, not gold, but amethyst rings. Gold bands held five small glimmering violet stones.

In honest awe she pulled one out, a small white paper was attached to the ringlet. The stone shone in the light that had begun to rise outside. She knew on Earth one was quite pricey, but five?

She pulled the paper off and unfolded it.

Raven,

An amethyst for a beautiful goddess.

-An Admirer

Still in slight shock her lips formed a small smile.

Then reality shocked back and she scowled. How had one of the titans gotten enough money for five rings? And why spend it on _her?_

She knew Robin and Beast Boy had each inherited a small fortune from their families (which is about all she knew about their families). As for Cyborg, she didn't know. Raven played with the idea he might have asked one of the other two.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Friend Raven, have you seen my cd?" Starfire was moving around the living room upturning furniture looking for the "missing" cd. Every once in a while she would stop to fix the red bow in her hair.

"No," Raven answered before turning back to Cyborg.

"By the way, I'm missing some metals from my garage too, anyone seen them?" Cyborg turned again to throw over his shoulder. Raven shifted slightly. Robin and Beast Boy grunted in response still glued to the video game.

"What kind?" Raven asked. Cyborg turned back around facing her across the kitchen table.

"Um first some titanium, and then recently some aurum."

"Aurum?" She asked pushing back her still wet hair.

"Yea, it's like gold."

Raven swallowed hard. She didn't want to think about missing gold. She moved a hand to hide the ring on her left hand.

She felt silly even considering wearing the thing. Yet, somehow she felt obligated. It wasn't every day someone gave you five amethyst rings.

"Oh, haven't seen any," She murmured even though she guessed they were probably both residing in her room. Cyborg shrugged before getting up.

"Must have misplaced them. If you'll excuse me, I think I have a high score to set."

Raven nodded and Cyborg headed for the video games where Robin had just smashed his high score off the board. Her eyes followed over to where the three guys were. Something sitting near the game station caught her attention.

"Beast Boy?" She asked getting up and moving into the living room.

"Yes?" He spun around when their video game was about to start.

"Can you hand me that thing by the game?" Raven pointed to the object as she walked closer.

He nodded and fetchingly grabbed it. Turning back to Raven he gave her a funny look.

"This stuffed animal yours Raven?" He held up the small raven grinning like it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen. She heard the other two boys stop, put down their controllers, to look at her.

"Yes," she leaned closer and snatched it from him as if daring him to ask any further.

"What's with the-" That's as far as he got when Cyborg and Robin promptly jumped on him and covered his mouth. Apparently Raven had been radiating black energy. She blushed unbeknownst to anyone at her quick temper.

Chanting to herself mentally she looked up to see the three now wrestling as they yelled apologies to Raven, Beast Boy even threw in a plea for his life.

"Relax, I'm not killing anyone," She clutched the raven in her left hand waiting for the three to stop. "I'll be meditating," Raven added silently when the three had untangled themselves long enough to look at her.

Without a second glance she headed for her room and some needed meditation. The three unnerved her constantly now.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After almost three hours Raven pulled herself back into solid form.

Breathing evenly and refreshed she pushed herself off the bed. She walked to her book case and pulled out some more crackers she had saved for Ebony. Crumbled and maybe a little stale they were most likely a divine snack for a scavenger raven.

"Now where are you?" Raven picked up her blanket and set it on her bed. Moving over to the stolen wire cage she peered down inside. A few scrambled pieces of newspaper were stuffed inside after Raven had realized all those crackers eventually went somewhere. But there was no bird.

In fact, Raven hadn't seen the bird since this morning. After she'd rushed out...

The psychic attempted whistling to lure the bird out. Growing irritated she overturned a few more things in her room looking for the black bird. Subconsciously she fixed the mess with her powers as she went along. Ebony was not to be found.

"Stupid bird going and leaving my room." She mumbled before sitting back down on her bed. It was nearing evening so there was no use trying to find the bird now. There were a million dark places for it to hide in the night.

Raven would have to try tomorrow morning.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that night he paced the floor of his room. All the while a content look on his face.

Earlier that day he had been in a small rumble with the other two male titans. When Raven had grumbled she wasn't going to kill them they had all untangled to look at her.

That's when he had spotted it. One of the rings he had given her that morning. It was snugly on her left hand as she gripped the plush raven. It matched her eyes perfectly, better than he had imagined while planning the idea.

While Raven had been downstairs he had snuck to put them in her room. His pacing paused a moment. She was going to kill him _slowly_ for that.

A black bird ruffled its wings resting on his shoulder.

"Lost raven?" He asked no one before going back to pacing and planning his next gift.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**The admirer's gettin pricey. Thanks for all the reviews, you guys make my mail box happy! (And I do love them long reviews!)**

**I was planning on eliminating one person from the mystery in the 10th chapter, but if I do three different endings it wouldn't really work. Umm so I don't know. I'm afraid of the reviewers who won't get their couple, and my sis who bugs me until I write. XD I could defiantly do two different endings. Any suggestions?**

**And yea I am trying to torture you all as well as Raven. Hah!**

**-Dragonslayer527**


	6. Geese a Laying

**Chapter 6: Geese-a-laying**

_On the sixth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Six geese a-laying,  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree  
_

Raven stepped down the stairs quietly. It was early. The sun wouldn't be rising for a few minutes or so. She had decided to look for Ebony while the others were still sleeping.

The little bird had grown on her and she wanted it back.

She started over by the windows in case Ebony had been trying to get outside. The frosted windows held dust, and nothing more. She wiped a hand over the glass to look outside.

It was the first snowfall. A world of fresh white snow was about Titan Island. No doubt they would be spending the day out in the snow. At least there she could pelt the guys with snowballs and not be suspicious.

Raven moved toward the television next carefully stepping over the game controllers. Her breath came out in puffs. Cyborg wasn't up yet to activate the tower and start the heat. She didn't mind, the cold didn't really bother her half-demon body.

She peered behind the television and around the couch. There still wasn't any hint of a bird. No feathers, peck marks or 'gifts from above'.

"Where are you?" She mumbled out after a while of fruitless searching.

"Talking to yourself?" Came a voice in reply. Raven froze recognizing the voice. Biting her lip she turned around to face the stairs, and Robin.

"I was just, looking for something." Raven added casually trying to get a good look at her leader still bathed in the early morning shadows.

"I see, pretty early to be up." He moved further into the living room where Raven could see him. Surprisingly Robin was dressed in baggy black sweat pants and a white shirt.

"I wanted to find it before anyone got up," Raven mumbled averting her gaze.

"What, you didn't think I slept in spandex did ya?" Robin added noticing Raven's surprise.

"I suppose not," She responded.

A silence fell for a second before Raven turned noticing a change. The sun had begun to rise. Robin yawned moving closer to take a seat on the couch. Reluctantly Raven took a seat on the couch. She made sure to leave a good amount of space between her and him.

"I noticed it was the first snow, in the holiday spirit I'm going to let the team off for a snow day."

"Good of you," Raven said absentmindedly. She had been watching the sun make a slow ascent filling the tower with light.

"Then tomorrow there's a Christmas parade I know Starfire will want to see." She heard him move on the couch.

Guards pulling back up she turned back to him. He had been leaning in closer seemingly examining her.

"You seem side-tracked, what's up?" He could see her and she couldn't see him. Raven suddenly hated his mask, the one-way mirror.

"Is that a feather?" Raven asked suddenly noticing a black bit stuck to his shirt.

Robin looked down and pulled the small black feather off. "Yea, the real reason I'm up is there's quite a commotion going up a few floors. Some bird got in the tower and Beast Boy was awaken by it pecking on him. So of course he had to get Cyborg to chase it down. I heard the noise and woke up. One second out the door and I end up in a mess of arms, legs and feathers."

Raven swallowed hard. She needed an excuse to get away and save the bird. And how did it get in Beast Boy's room?

"It's actually quite funny, they haven't caught it yet." Robin raved on smiling now.

"I think I'll go save this bird, wouldn't want them two barging into my room using this bird as an excuse." Her lie came out smoothly.

Robin laughed. "Have fun, make sure to be down around noon, it's when we'll be organizing snowball fight teams."

Raven got up but turned back to him smirking. "Boys against girls?"

"Of course."

With that she turned heading up to save her bird.

* * *

"Boys against girls!" Beast Boy called wildly when everyone was piled at the titan front door. Everyone was wearing winter clothes instead of their costumes for the outdoors. It was a strange but welcomed change.

"We shall be victorious, yes?" Starfire bounced around happily next to Raven. Raven had just went over the rules with Starfire. Anything went, as long as they only threw snowballs and didn't use their powers.

Raven nodded to the girl already planning the boys demise. Two of them had practically scared her bird to death when she had finally rescued it, and the other was a one-way mirror.

"Ladies first, we'll give you five minutes." Cyborg grinned holding open the door.

"Hurray!" Starfire shouted first out the door. Raven made sure to give the three a death glare before following into the snow draft.

"Does this location look suitable?" Starfire finally stopped after the distance from the front door was sufficient.

"Yup, get ready." She grabbed some snow as Starfire did the same. The two smoothed them into balls and Raven used her power to levitate them.

"But did you not say we could not use our powers?" Starfire questioned as she watched the glowing black snow.

"Well we have to get them good first, then we'll play fair." Raven put out smoothing another snow ball. Starfire nodded as if she agreed and continued making snow balls.

When they heard the boys approaching Raven had near thirty snowballs floating about. She moved them over out of sight behind a tree.

Starfire giggled pointing to the boys who were grinning madly. Cyborg had his arms full of snowballs while the other two were armed with a few each.

"Ready to loose?" Beast Boy yelled pointing his thumb at the ground.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Bring it on." She hissed. Starfire snickered beside her. From where they were the floating barrage of snow was just to their left.

Beast Boy threw the first and Robin followed. The two girls ducked the first few. Unfortunately Cyborg then ran closer, aiming carefully and throwing a bunch. Robin and Beast Boy followed behind scooping up more snow.

Cyborg's got both the girls first, wetting their hair and resulting in the two falling over into the snow bank.

Sputtering Raven got up first. The three boys were almost hovering over them now. Her temper had flared a moment.

"Shall we now?" Starfire asked brushing white snow from her damp red hair.

Raven grinned and moved the snowballs into their view.

"Oh my-" Beast Boy sputtered and stepped back.

"RUN!" Cyborg yelled turning and retreating. Robin and Beast Boy tripped over each other in their haste to get away.

"Cheaters!" Robin called back just as the three thought they were safe.

Raven threw the snow lumps at the boys. All three yelped for mercy as the snow hit and knocked them down half burying them.

"Have we won?" Starfire asked watching the pile. Raven gave a glance, various arms and legs were twitching from under the pile of snow.

Well she certainly _felt_ better.

"I'd say so." She spared her best friend a rare smile as the two made their way to the fallen team.

"Che-aters," Cyborg called after he sputtered out snow.

"We were only, how Raven said 'getting you good'," Starfire smiled innocently watching the three frozen boys climb out of the snow.

"Surrender?" Raven asked threateningly raising another snowball.

The three panicked quickly waving their arms in surrenderance.

"I'm having none of that, I think I'll try something less dangerous, like sledding over cracked ice," Beast Boy grumbled brushed snow from his green jacket.

"Raven?" Starfire tugged at Ravens dark purple sweater.

"Hmm?" She answered absentmindedly. Raven was still relishing in the sight of three sore losers brushing ice from their selves.

"What are those?" She pointed off to the right. Raven followed her arm and almost choked.

She had heard the song, but for a second she had thought maybe...

No, they had found a way; near the shore of Titan Island was a flock of six geese. All sitting in sand where the snow had not reached.

"They're geese," Raven responded automatically moving past the girl. She didn't even really need to think about what they were.

Raven covered the ground quickly, conscious of four pairs of eyes on her now. One of which had put these geese there. The notion flared her temper as her snow shoes met wet sand.

She scanned the laying geese for one specific goose.

Finding it near the middle she carefully passed through the herd. The one with a purple ribbon on it's neck never moved as she approached.

When she got to it she noticed it was asleep. In fact they all were. Wind rustled it's white feathers, but that was the only movement.

Carefully she untied the bow and slipped the paper out.

Raven,

Got geese?

-An Admirer

Raven growled lowly under her breath. Mockery.

She wished she had hit the boys with more snow.

Evening her breath she turned back to head back to her team mates. A legimate lie sprung to her mind as she slipped the bow and paper into her sweat pants pocket.

* * *

"A gift, from the city you think?" Robin asked unsure. Raven nodded to the group firmly.

"Can we keep them?" Beast Boy asked in between turning into a goose. He nudged the white ones, none of which deemed him important enough to bother with.

"Dude I am not cleaning up after geese, Beast Boy and Silky are enough pets," Cyborg added and proceeded to run from an angry green goose.

"I have to agree, although they are quite," Starfire paused searching for a word. "Charming, it may be best to give them to someone."

"There might be a pet store in the city who would come and pick them up," Robin scratched his head unsure.

Raven nodded before swiftly turning and heading toward the tower, she needed some tea and a plan...

* * *

The rest of the day he watched Raven in a fury about the tower. She slammed cabinets harder, her remarks were more snide than usual and three of Starfire's newly bought Christmas bulbs had already shattered into oblivion.

All the time he remembered earlier down at the beach. She had dismissed the geese all together passing off a ridiculous lie to them all. He saw the skeptical glances the others passed. It was only a few more days before the others started questioning her, as he would.

He smiled passing by the angry goddess. She never gave him a look as she heatedly stormed up the stairs.

When she was gone he headed to his room to arrange for the next gift. She would just _love_ it.

* * *

**Yay! All of the encouraging reviews make me oh so happy, I have the best readers/reviewers! Glad to see I can actually write a mystery-ish story (my first attempt).**

**I plan on updating every other day so I should be finished in... -counts- 14 days?**

**And I have decided...there will be only ONE ending. It just works better that way, and it was my original plan (not to mention reviewers and my sis convinced me).**

**Finally the gifts get tough. Muwhahah! Review on your way out. Thanks!**

**-Dragonslayer527**

**p.s. XD is a smiley, its like the only one that will upload on FF.**

**p.s.s. About BB's small fortune: well his parents died, so they had to leave him _something_ right?**


	7. Swans a Swimming

**Chapter 7: Swans a Swimming**

_On the sixth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Seven swans a swimming,  
Six geese a-laying,  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree_

"Get off!" Raven angrily spat sitting up. Ebony who had been resting among her violet hair was violently dropped onto the bed covers. She nipped at Ravens arm offended and proceeded to rustle her black sleek feathers.

"Sure I save you, now your going to drive _me _insane." She muttered throwing off the blankets glad for once to have a full nights sleep. No worries, for now.

Absent mindedly she raked a hand through her hair and grabbed the ring sitting on her side table. It slid onto her finger as she went to the closet for her cloak.

Grabbing a fresh cloak she made her way to the bathroom. She didn't think the admirer would bring swans inside, so if she didn't go outside she couldn't get her gift right?

Down the hall a small black box hit her foot, carelessly she kicked it to the side. Another of Beast Boys stupid toys she surmised. Her thoughts immediately began to fall back into her previous train of thought.

Raven had pondered up the crazy idea if she didn't get her gift one day maybe it would mess him up. So all she had to do was not go outside right?

* * *

"Raven have you heard?" Starfire giggled madly in her floating spot. She had attacked Raven the minute she had walked out of the bathroom. Towel still in hand and hair dripping she turned to the girl. 

"Hear what?"

"Robin says we may all go see the parade!" She smiled pulling at her green bow.

"Damn," Raven muttered more to herself. Robin had said something about that yesterday. It involved going outside. Her fist clenched, today was not her day.

In fact, it had not been her week. It was day seven, she was over halfway there.

"What is this 'damn'? Are there beavers around?" Starfire inquired peering closer to her damp, heated friend.

"Um, it's nothing Star. The parade will be great, you'll love it." She added as an afterthought and started for the stairs. She needed to see if she could bugger herself out of going. Boy that would mess him up.

"Cyborg, where's Robin?" She asked as she passed him down the stairs. The meta-human looked up sidetracked a moment before pointing toward the living room. She nodded noting his strange behavior. Wasn't he supposed to be gaming already?

In the living room Robin was alone typing a bunch of stuff onto the main computer.

"Where's Beast Boy?" She called walking closer. Robin didn't look up typing diligently.

"Um he said something about going out for some tofu, apparently we're fresh out, imagine that." He chuckled to himself, the keys still hitting in a strange rhythm.

Out, was he?

Raven placed that fact carefully into her mind. Clue gathering took a keen eye, but whichever one it was, they were clever.

She played with the idea it couldn't be Beast Boy. Did he really have the brain capacity? Raven had always thought he was more of a tofu, jokester, gamer brain.

"Do you think Beast Boy is more intelligent than he puts out?" She asked almost silently. If anyone Robin was the best to answer something about a team-mate since he so diligently observed people.

His typing hit an off-key in its rhythm, but it was only a millisecond that Raven picked up on. "Certainly, everyone has reserves. Take Beast Boy," He paused and moved a paper over his eyes scanning the page. "He plays the jokester a lot, but if ever needed he really is a smart guy."

Raven stayed silent the words wrapping in her head. They made some twisted sense there she hadn't thought of before.

Want as she might to eliminate _someone _Beast Boy seemed just as likely a suspect as say...clever Robin.

"Now what did you really find me for?" Robin asked after a stretched moment of her silence.

"I don't want to go to the parade, I have things to do."

Robin continued typing not missing beat. "What's more important than an outing with your friends?"

Raven's mind started overworking. Excuse, she needed another lie. Was it just her, or was she lying more often these days?

"Hey Robin?" Came another voice. Raven sighed, she had been saved.

"Hmm?" Robin mumbled not turning to greet Cyborg who had just arrived.

"I can't go to the parade." He paused next to Raven to look at their leaders back.

Robins fingers paused above the keys and he slowly turned around. "You too huh? Any reason you _both_ might be wanting to stay behind?"

The words worked their meaning into Ravens head. He was insinuating, her and-

Huffing she glared at her leader. "I have **_things _**to do."

"Yea I've lost some stuff recently I wanted to look around for." Cyborg added, a weak defense.

"More stuff?" Raven turned slightly so she could read his expression.

"Yea, its a mini system cooler, small black box kind of thing."

Raven paused. Hadn't she seen something like that recently? Images and memories blinked through her head rewinding the day. "I seen something like that in the hall." She added hopefully, she didn't need anyone else staying home if she was going to.

"Oh thanks!" Cyborg turned to head for the hall. Robin then turned his attention to the girl.

"Your going, it's an order I think the rest of the team would agree with me on. You can afford one day of luxury." Robin turned back to the keyboard giving off the indication the conversation was over.

Raven bit her lip to keep down a string of nasty words. She did not need this when she had so much else going on.

"Fine," Raven muttered. It was almost impossible to win a conversation against Robin anyway.

She turned around and stomped her way to her room. The entire way there she prayed her door would not be hosting seven swans.

* * *

"Ooh what is that?" Starfire excitedly pointed to one of the giant floats. It was glittering in holiday spirit. Beast Boy had oh so sneakily prodded Robin so he was closest to Starfire. The rest of them had inched away so as not to be victims of her innumerable questions. 

"It's a float," Robin responded boredly for nearing the twentieth time. He had already given up glaring at the other three, they weren't going to be saving him anytime soon.

"Can we go now?" Raven asked the two boys next to her pulling her cape more around herself against the winters air. Over the blasting chorus of music (which was to her horror, The Twelve Days of Christmas) the two didn't seen to hear her. Frustrated she took the time to examine them.

Both were humming along with the song, which didn't help her eliminate anything. Every once in a while a worthy float would pass by and the two would yell for beads or candy their way. So far Cyborg was the only one with any bounty as far as beads.

That of course was due to his foot height on the rest of them.

Neither of them had really paid any extra attention to her. The only clue was that Beast Boy had been out of the tower and Cyborg had been sidetracked all morning.

Robin had been typing, but she hadn't asked what he had been doing. It would be a little too obvious for her taste.

Some of Ravens emotions kept pointing out that she should really _think_ about her situation. That she should really think about how **she** felt about the three male titans. Her common sense would have none of it. She would keep putting off the inevitable headache until probably the eleventh or twelfth day.

Raven moved away from Beast Boy a little and tried to pay attention to the parade. The flashy lights and pounding band gave her a migraine. She could hear Starfire asking Robin about another Earthly wonder and Robin gritting his teeth in response.

Realizing everyone was sufficiently distracted Raven got an idea. When a giant bead throwing float came by she shifted out of the crowd. None of the other titans saw her get away.

Breathing more evenly and clearing a headache she walked away from the parade commotion. She pulled out her communicator real quick and recorded a message. Raven then sent it to each of the titans communicators so if they decided to check on her the message would appear.

No mess or fuss.

Smirking triumphantly she headed back to the tower. She had to find some way to prevent her presents arrival.

* * *

Raven touched down on the damp bank of the island. The snow had melted earlier leaving more of a slush everywhere. 

Her boots splashed over the land as she made for the front door. When her hand touched the door knob she heard a sound.

Preparing to lash out she spun in place scanning the area. Slushy ground, plants, beach sand, water. Nothing to have made the noise. Shaking her head dismissing it all-together she turned back around and gripped the knob.

And heard the sound.

She spun again. Still when her fury of robes settled there was nothing there.

Raven stayed watching like a hawk, she never heard things twice unless they actually happened.

After a minute the water near the shore stirred. A long white neck rose out followed by a swans body. It made the annoying quack preening its silk white feathers.

Raven let out a long string of enraged curses. Her powers flipped a few moments tearing up the landscape. Trees overturned, dirt was flung about and a new natural pool was made before her powers were harnessed.

"Damn swans," Raven closed her eyes a second searching for a control. Her lips smoothed over her familiar chant. The familiarity calmed her senses.

When she was in control she started toward the water. The swan swam in the small circles near the shore making the unnerving noise every once in a while. When she got to the waters edge she summoned some energy to hover just about the frigid liquid.

"Come here you stupid bird," She tried cooing in the most un-amicable way. The swan paused and looked at Raven.

It turned and made another noise.

Raven moved forward quickly lunging midair for the blue bow about its neck. Alarmed it tried flying, scooping its large wings.

But she had grabbed it too quickly. With a vengeance she undid the bow and slipped the paper she knew to be there out.

The swan revolved its head. Raven turned to see what it was looking at.

There were six more swans swimming closer. That made seven, seven swans a swimming. One was full ground and the other five looked nearly newborn.

Groaning she unfolded the note.

Raven,

Are we having fun my dear Raven?

-An Admirer

She crumbled the paper in her palm. Another gift, another day and she _still_ did not have a clue.

She looked down at the blue ribbon. Was blue a clue, or a red-herring meant to screw her up further?

There sure was a lot of clues pointing at Cyborg. That left the possibilities that it could be Cyborg, being really obvious to throw her off or it wasn't Cyborg and **he **was messing with her.

Throwing an angry glance at the group of swans she floated toward the tower. She needed yet another lie for leaving the parade.

Raven wondered how long before the others caught on. Sure Starfire could be naive sometimes, but she wasn't dumb. Two of the boys would be genuinely curious of what was going on, the other would probably go along as not to look suspicious.

Fun?

Raven slammed the tower door, in a distant building all the glass windows shattered.

* * *

When they finished with the parade the titans headed home. By then they had gotten her message left on the communicators. 

He grinned spotting his swans on the way inside. The others failed to notice the extra set of gander on their island.

Inside Raven was still a flaming time bomb. He couldn't help but relish in the satisfaction of making her that way. As beautiful as she was in her facade of serenity, a fury of emotions set her in new bounds all together.

The other Titans had picked up on something bothering the young girl. Her anger, however vile was usually only shone for a few moments. Here it was almost daily.

He wondered which of them would be the first to dare and ask her what was wrong. Which would be the first to accuse Raven of strange behavior.

Maybe he would, just to screw up whatever plan her brilliant mind was concocting.

* * *

Um some bad news. I am grounded until Xmas I think? I'm going to try and continue updates every other day and see how it works. So if I miss a day or so don't panic too much, I shall figure something out...hopefully. -

Thanks TONS to all my reviewers, you guys completely flood my mail, I feel so honored!

Anyone notice there's a LOT of bird gifts?

I keep hearing this song played everywhere I go now-a-days, I am so brainwashed. Review on your way out!

-Dragonslayer527


	8. Maids a Milking

Chapter 8: Maids a Milking

__

On the eighth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Eight maids a milking  
Seven swans a swimming,  
Six geese a-laying,  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree

A knock awoke the demon girl. She mumbled to herself and spun off the covers. A quick look to the clock told Raven she had overslept. Everyone had to be up by now.

The knock at her door came more persistent.

"Raven?" It was her faithful leader's voice that floated through her door.

Immediately on alert she jumped from her bed. Sleep wiped away she flung a cloak on and slid open her door.

"Yes?" She croaked, same old monotone as always.

"There's uh, something at the front entrance for you." He scratched at his neck seemingly confused.

"Alright," Raven went to close the door, whatever it was it could surely wait until after meditation. Right when the door was about to slip shut a green gloved had stopped it.

"It can't wait," He added giving her a masked look.

Raven rolled her eyes and opened the door back up. Quickly she stepped out and securely shut it behind her. Without another look to Robin she started for the front entrance.

* * *

A moment down the stairs and they pounced.

"What's the big idea Raven?" Beast Boy smiled poking Raven lightly in the arm. She shot him a look that could possibly be fatal, but the boy didn't get it. "Need a little more calcium?"

She turned her head slightly looking at the green changeling. He looked very amused.

"What are you talking about?" She growled annoyed.

"You don't know?" Cyborg stepped seemingly out of no where to lean up close to Raven.

She backed up slightly afraid of such acknowledgement. What was going on? "Know _what?_" She hissed looking between a giggling Beast Boy and a startled Cyborg.

"Well you should get a mooo-ve on to the door then," Beast Boy added making a noise like a cow. The two cracked up falling to the floor in a pile of hysterics.

Raven chose not to say anything spiteful for once. Gracefully she stepped over the two avoiding the urge to kick them.

She followed the hall down, the door nearing view. Someone was rapping on it more persistently. It followed some crack-pot melody that she immediately recognized. She hummed along with it slightly putting in her own words under her breath.

But it always stopped at the eighth day and started over. Eight maids a milking.

Raven gripped the door knob, she **really** hoped there wasn't any cows out there. But it would have explained the lame puns from Beast Boy.

Throwing out her thoughts she pulled the door open.

"Elo' madam!" A woman greeted her. She was dressed in what looked to be medieval peasant clothes, her blond hair was tied back in purple ribbon. Her accent was thick, something Raven supposed was medieval as well.

Ravens eyes followed her white ragged dress down to see what she was holding. It was a wooden bucket filled with a white liquid. She grit her teeth knowing what it was.

"Ere' you go." The girl smiled and handed over the bucket to Raven. Raven grimaced taking the handle, the milk sloshed slightly.

"I be going now, merry day," The blonde curtseyed slightly holding her dress before turning to leave.

Raven stood watching her leave still slightly awed. Was that really just one maid a milking? She looked down to the wooden bucket of milk still hanging from her arm.

She swore to herself before swinging the front door closed. It was so unfair.

Something shuffled behind her and Raven knew it was the titans. Attempting to compose herself she slowly turned around.

All four of them were looking at her expectantly. Raven swallowed difficulty and bent to put the bucket down.

"Friend Raven, what is in that pale of wood?" Starfire's head was turned slightly her eyes looking over the glossy white fluid.

"Care to explain?" Beast Boy snickered hitting Cyborg in the ribs.

"It's milk, and I don't want to talk about it." Raven pushed her way passed them leaving the pale for them to examine. She knew he was enjoying this a little too much.

She made it to the living room before the others ventured in to try again. Mumbling to herself she grabbed a near-by book and settled down on the couch. Only when she actually looked at the page did she realize the book was upside down.

Quickly rotating it she hoped the others hadn't noticed.

However the four had their eyes trained on her figure watching with curiosity, or in Beast Boy's case-pure amusement.

It made Raven want to hurt him. What the hell was he so happy about anyway?

"Raven, if this is bothering you I think we need to know." Robin stepped forward taking his leadership poise.

She shifted trying to keep her eyes on the page. So far she had been unsuccessful, she didn't even know what she was reading.

"Um friend Raven, how can you read my Tameranian folk book?" Starfire asked innocently beside Robin.

Raven focused in the words only to realize, she was right. Gibberish looked back from the pages. Snapping the book closed she turned back to the expectant Titans.

"Well-" Raven started but was cut off. A knock at the front door came again. After a quick look in the door's direction the four refocused to Raven.

"I'll get it," She added unnecessarily as she got up.

The four followed her to the door. Now Raven knew what it was like to have a dog, and she didn't like it.

Opening the door she was greeted with an equally as perky girl. She looked younger than the one before her with vibrant red hair.

"Madame," She curtseyed slightly and handed another well-bucket of milk to her.

Smiling she curtseyed again and in a flurry of peasant clothes she was gone. Everyone gaped in her wake.

Stepping back Raven slammed the door. It seemed to knock everyone out of their trance. She moved to the side and set the bucket down with the rest. Boy, it got annoying fast.

"It's kind of complicated to explain." Raven had turned to them all. She saw Robin about to ask something. "But in now way does it endanger the Titans."

"So your _not_ going to tell us what's going on!?" Beast Boy shrieked.

"No, I'll tell you all after Christmas." She added simply moving passed them.

"Raven, I don't like this secretive business, we're a team-" Robin started after her.

Raven paused and spun around on her heels nailing the boy with a fierce glare. "Secret?" Raven's teeth clenched. She could feel her anger rising. It just **had** to be difficult. "Don't bother me with talk about secrets, I'll tell you when I'm ready."

Robin didn't back down as she glared at him. But his expression was solid and unmoved. Something in the distance cracked and shattered.

Raven breathed deeply pulling everything back in. The other three titans had stepped back slightly. She felt guilty and stupid for loosing her temper. It was not the person she was.

"We're just worried." Robin added calmly which only made Raven feel worse. She had made a fool of herself.

"I know, sorry." She didn't look at Robin moving her gaze to the other titans. Starfire gave a small smile touching her red bow. Beast Boy grinned still and Cyborg beside him looked concerned.

The door knocked beside them. Everyone jumped at the tension.

Sighing Raven pulled open the door to greet number three.

* * *

Raven pushed the food around on her plate. She knew any moment there would be a knock on the door. Any moment their dinner would be interrupted by milking maid number eight with her bucket of milk and note.

Dinner was quieter than normal. The entire day the titans had kept their distance as she answered the door seven times.

They now had enough milk to last them a lifetime, none of the titans really drank milk anyway.

Beast Boy had suggested making ice cream and Cyborg had pointed out maybe Raven had a recipe in her French Hen cookbooks. That had been the only clues all day.

Raven dropped her fork when the knock came. The table froze, eyes moving to Raven.

They didn't know how long the milk would be coming. Well, all of them but one.

She took a quick glaring glance at the three boys before getting up. Pulling her cloak closer to her she made her way to the door.

Pushing back all emotion related thoughts she pulled the door open. The last sunlight bathed over maid number eight. She was by comparison much more extravagantly dressed and beautiful than the others.

The dress was silk layered colored blue, red and green that faded to a deep purple at the end. How fitting. She smiled, her short black hair lining her face. She had perfect features and deep blue eyes.

"Madame," She greeted just as the rest with a curtsey. Raven nodded politely, it wasn't their fault they were paid.

She handed the bucket over which Raven quickly took and set next to the others before turning back to the woman. Her smile never vanished as she gently pulled a note out from her gowns pocket.

She gave to Raven who added a small thank you.

"Good-luck," The woman seemed to smile more genuinely as her accent twanged a moment. Raven had a feeling that remark had not been in the script. But before she could ask the stunning woman had curtseyed and fled.

Raven turned back to the note in hand. Unfolding it she read...

Dearest Raven,

I looked for the most beautiful girls I could find, but they are mere maids to you.

-An Admirer

Raven read over the sentence a few times. She knew she was probably blushing and blamed herself for being swayed by compliments. He couldn't possibly mean she was more beautiful than the woman she had just met?

Subconsciously she ran a hand through her short hair. He was blind she had concluded. He was blind, mad, stupid and soon to be dead.

She folded the note in her palm. Closing the door she headed back to the dinner table.

* * *

He had chosen the girls, the most beautiful within the towers reaching distance. The last was to be the most extravagant.

But he knew they were simply maids. Simply maids to Raven.

He finished his dinner musing after she had left the table. He didn't need to worry about keeping up conversation, the table was silent. Everyone was wondering the deal with Raven. He was startled she had not let on about anything.

There was an odd sort of comfort in her wanting to keep it secret. She didn't want to share it with anyone.

Maybe she was actually looking forward to the surprise at the end...

He heard her footsteps coming back. If only for appearances he had stayed at the table. He wanted so bad to see her when she read his note. No one was resistance to flattery, especially when it's leaving milk on your front door.

* * *

Wow! Look at all the reviews! I'm so happy and on a writing spree. Thanks so much, you all keep me inspired.

Also thanks to the person who suggested ideas -gets paper and scribbled furiously- you rock, I have them twisting themselves into plots as I type.

And no I will not give away who it is until the twelfth chapter, and that is when you all can throw fruit because you've read the whole story and didn't like the coupling. -laughs-

This chapter was kind of weird. I didn't want the rest of them to find out though. Not to mention the fact I had to write while parent was not here. -ducks and runs off-

Leave a review on your way out!

-Dragonslayer527


	9. Ladies Dancing

Chapter 9: Ladies Dancing

On the ninth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Nine ladies dancing,  
Eight maids a-milking,  
Seven swans a-swimming,  
Six geese a-laying,  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree.

Raven sat on the roof, a full sky of stars perched above her. She didn't know why she was here or how she had gotten there. But she did know she was waiting for someone.

A breeze blew by ruffling her clothing. It was only then did she notice it was not her costume. She was dressed in a short dark dress. It ended about her mid-thigh with longer pieces of fabric running to about her knees.

A door clicked open. Raven's eyes shot up. The person she was waiting for had arrived. In the darkness she couldn't see across the roof. It was a muffled shadow, but decidedly male.

He walked closer. Raven squinted to try and see who it was.

He got closer.

Raven leaned forward a little on the ledge. Maybe a little too far.

In a moment she felt herself falling. Falling and falling away from whoever it was.

A muffled crash jolted the girl awake. Her eyes fell open to find herself on her bedroom floor, in a tangle of blankets. Quickly the dream came back to her. She knew it had to be her admirer.

But for the life of her she couldn't remember anything about the guy, not even how tall he was.

Growling to herself she threw off the cumbersome sheets and pulled herself up. Christmas music from downstairs wafted in through her supposed sound-proof door. She looked up at her clock.

Her clock looked back at her. Another day of oversleeping. Frustrated at the way her day was already shaping up she grabbed her cape. A quick clasp and she headed for the door.

Some tea and meditation would set things back on track. Well a girl could dream anyway.

Raven only made it as far as the hall. There in front of her door was a box, attached was a blue, green and red ribbon.

"Dammit," She hissed under her breath looking down at her next gift. At least it wasn't human.

She heard something bust in the distance followed by a shriek from Starfire and the music cut off. She glanced down the hall quickly to make sure there were no witness'.

Satisfied everyone was downstairs she snatched the box and turned back into her room.

She was going to need more tea than previously planned.

Inside Raven immediately latched onto the box and ripped it open. Spotting the paper first she pulled it out and set it beside her on the bed.

Music had restarted downstairs as she pulled out her next gift. Nine ladies dancing...

To Raven's surprise, she pulled out a rectangle velvet box. It was deep violet color and big enough it took both hands to lift it out. Raven had a hunch as to what it was.

Just to be sure she set it on her lap. Her fingers traced over the box's embossed velvety design.

When she got to the middle her fingers stopped on a lock. Pulling at it she found it locked. It was a small black combination lock.

Raven rolled her eyes and something pricked at her leg. She nearly jumped out of her own skin before realizing it was only Ebony.

"Why would he lock it?" She mumbled sarcastically to herself picking up the small bird. She placed Ebony next to her and grabbed the letter instead.

Raven,

Need a clue? I believe Beast Boy might have an answer...

-An Admirer

Raven read it over a few times.

Well _this_ certainly was a strange twist. He could be eliminating Beast Boy, or it could be him trying to throw her off.

Raven pondered this a moment. If it wasn't Beast Boy, then how would he have a clue?

Determined to find out herself (and find a way to open the box) she stood up. Setting the velvet box down carefully she turned to leave. When she was about to open her steel door there was a fury of wings and pressure on her shoulder.

The psye turned her head slightly to see Ebony. She fluttered her wings happily.

It must have been her first time flying. A small smile twisted onto Raven's lips.

"Sorry but I can't take you with me, I have enough questions aimed at me already." She added wryly transferring the bird off her shoulder. Ebony hopped off her hand to the carpet and Raven was off to find her supposed "clue."

* * *

"Morning Beast Boy," Raven greeted boredly as she entered the kitchen. She had lucked out and caught him alone on his breakfast duty. The rest of the titans were in the living room busy and thoroughly distracted.

Starfire had taken to cheering on Cyborg and Robin as they versed on the game station.

"Um, hey Raven," Beast Boy gave her a funny look before turning back to check the oven. It was probably because Raven never really paid him this much attention. She cursed how desperate she was getting for clues.

Raven moved over to set herself up a cup of tea, running over in her mind the ways to bring up a strange subject like this. How did you ask someone for a clue to unlock a box that you got for the ninth day of Christmas from an admirer who happens to be one of the guys in the tower?

What if he didn't have a clue? What if-

"Ahh!" Beast Boy yelped away from the stove.

Raven turned to see what was wrong this time. To her horror something was on fire. Whatever he had been cooking on the stove had caught flames, they burned a warm orange.

Without thinking Raven's powers moved a metal lid and dropped it over the food to stifle the flames. "Chill," She added moving across the kitchen carrying her tea.

When she was sure the flames had died she moved the lid off the food.

"What the?" Her eyebrows knitted as she looked at the burnt catastrophe. They were in the shape of stars.

"I was trying to make star pancakes, you know, for the season?" Beast Boy crawled from behind the frig cowering.

"Stars on fire, now I've seen everyth-" Raven paused mid-sentence. Star-fire. Starfire? Was this the clue?

She turned to stare at Beast Boy. Startled he jumped a little and backed up under her gaze. "W-what?" He asked tilting his green head a little.

"Nothing," Raven said quickly and turned to leave. "You might want to add more milk next time," she threw just as she was out of the kitchen.

* * *

"Hello friend!" Starfire grinned moving over to make room on the couch for Raven.

She nodded taking the seat next to the girl. Robin and Cyborg sat on the floor in front of them fidgeting and smacking buttons in search of the all time high score.

"Star, can you remember 119,476,093?" Cyborg called hitting some random buttons. "I want to see how bad I beat him."

"Certainly," She smiled turning away from Raven to watch the match.

After a few more minutes Cyborg reveled in his victory.

"Ok Robin got 119,423,304 can you minus the two Starfire?" Cyborg called getting up. Robin followed less happy with his defeat.

Starfire nodded happy to show off her Earthly math skill. Raven did the same just to ensure she got the right answer.

"52,789, is that right?" Starfire answered after a second.

"Yea," Raven added getting the same answer a second later.

"I so beat you!" Cyborg called performing a small victory dance to Robin who shrugged as if he didn't care.

"Glorious! It was a thrilling match!" Starfire added.

Raven sat in silence. For some reason 52,789 stood out to her.

Taking up her instinct she quietly removed herself from the room just as Beast Boy strode in. She had a combination to check...

* * *

Raven sat down on her bed and pulled up the velvet box. Carefully she spun 5-2-7-8-9 and pulled.

There was a small click and the lock fell off.

Now she was confused. How in the world had...

Raven didn't want to think about it. There was an impending headache. What was the chances of that...

This guy was _good_, she mused, that or horribly lucky.

She lifted the lid finally. When it came up a slow classical melody started. When the top was fully extending the box was about a half foot deep. At the bottom nine ballerinas rotated in their stone prisons.

Nine ladies dancing.

Raven put a hand through her hair watching the rotations. After a moment she snapped the thing shut.

Getting up she took the music box over to her book case. Sliding over some books she pushed the foot long box next to her French Hens cookbooks. This was becoming too much of a habit.

* * *

He guessed she had put it together as she stormed from the room. He saw her go, probably to her room to cook up another headache.

It had been tough to get the two clues to string together. It took a little luck and some sabotage.

Smiling to himself he sat down on the couch. It was all too fun.

The other two sat down beside him as he grabbed the TV remote. An infectious song made it's way into his head.

Fight it as he may he couldn't stop himself from humming it. Might as well enjoy it, he thought to himself, he was going to an early grave.

One of the boys beside him nudged him.

"What are you humming?"

He smiled at his team mate shaking his head in a dismissive gesture. He turned back to watch the television.

On the ninth day of Christmas...

* * *

And your all thinking...WTF...she's nuts. Well you wouldn't be far off.

Hahaha. I am so shocked with all the reviews, this is the most I've ever gotten (and I'm not even done). Everyone who has reviewed: THANKS!

Hah, yes no real plot I suppose, just a bunch of madness. And if you missed it before, there's only ONE ending.

And very sorry for any grammer/spelling errors, this is a very rushed chapter, parent is threatening to take my keyboard -clings-

-Dragonslayer527

p.s. 52789 is my fav number, my b-day. Haha.


	10. Lords a Leaping

Chapter 10: Lords a Leaping

On the tenth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Ten lords a-leaping,  
Nine ladies dancing,  
Eight maids a-milking,  
Seven swans a-swimming,  
Six geese a-laying,  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree.

Raven knew she shouldn't lean forward. She'd fall.

Yet seeing him just so close. The face just in the shadows. Her dress ruffled and she felt her body crouching forward.

"Raven..." He had spoke. The voice, so familiar. She couldn't figure it out. Her hand reached out into the moon-bent shadows searching.

Then gravity took hold, at the last second. And she was falling, falling.

With an expected thump Ravens mind arose. Again she was on her carpet floor in a mangle of blankets.

"Damn..." She whispered sitting up. The dream was fading already, all the details were fuzzed. Somehow her subconscious knew and wasn't going to tell her.

Confirmed she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed (the floor) she crawled up to sit on her bed. Day ten, there was only two left. Ebony fluttered around her room exercising her new flying rights.

All that cage for nothing. Raven glanced at the clock. For once she was up early, as it should be. Stretching she grabbed a fresh cloak and headed for the bathroom.

--------

Emerging from the now steamed room Raven tussled her damp hair. There was Christmas music playing now, it was some fast rapture of "All I Want For Christmas Is You".

Raven took her time to linger down the stairs. The shower had done wonders to ease her emotions. She didn't feel like decapitating every male citizen of the city anymore. She passed the tree glancing at the gift stash.

The boys of course had huge boxes under the tree. Raven shivered at the notion she could get another year supply of tofu. It had taken $50 to bribe the trash men to take the substance.

She wandered into the kitchen where she could hear Starfire humming around.

"Morning," She greeted moving by the giggling girl.

"Most beautiful morning to you as well!" Starfire smiled before going back to her previous project, smearing mustard onto her toast.

"Hey Raven, Beast Boy just passed your door, he says there's an envelope or somethin?" Robin added before turning and greeting Starfire.

In a moment of fury Raven slammed down the tea cup that had been in her hand on the counter. The black ceramic shattered into chunky pieces. Both other two titans in the room paused to look at her funny.

"I'll be right back," She added before leaving. To the other two, it sounded like a death warranty. They were quick to leave the kitchen.

* * *

Raven picked up the white envelope. She wasn't expecting this. She was more ready for ten men in tights to attack her.

Leaning against her door still in the hallway she opened the envelope.

Inside were four tickets. Raven pulled them up closer to read the yellow tickets.

"Ten Lords? You've got to be kidding me," Raven looked incredulously at the tickets. Sure enough they were tickets to some kind of play. Raven read down to the information. It must have been a famous play because it was going to be held in the Jump City Amphitheater.

It was scheduled for December 22rd at seven.

Raven counted her days a moment. That was tonight...

She shuffled the envelope and pulled out the typed white paper.

Dearest Raven,

I'm one of the four that go...

-An Admirer

Raven looked down at her tickets. There were only four. Did that mean one of the male titans were going to bag on going?

Gripping the tickets she decided to spread the news. If he was going to eliminate someone, she needed to know **now**.

* * *

"Uh hem," Raven cleared her throat when she got into the living room. All four of them were sitting on the couch. Starfire looked a little fearful for a second before deciding Raven was no longer angry.

"I got tickets to a play tonight, and I figured we could all go?" Raven added as bored as she could muster. Not that she was eager to see who didn't go. No, not at all...

"Play?" Starfire asked when the silence stretched.

"Like a bunch of people acting?" Beast Boy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Raven sighed. "Yea, they look like pretty pricey seats, at the Amphitheater."

"Robin may we go?" Starfire clasped her hands looking hopeful.

Robin smiled, "I don't see why not. But we probably will need to be well-dressed."

"No problem for me, the ladies love a man in a suit!" Beast Boy grinned and ran a hand through his hair.

The rest of the titans rolled their eyes.

"So I will be needing clothing?" Starfire asked turning to Robin.

"Yea, like a dress or something."

"Glorious! I may be going to the mall of shopping, Raven can you accompany me?"

Raven zoned back in. None of them bad bagged yet. "Huh? Oh sure, I need to find something to wear anyway."

"Then it's settled. What time's the play?" Robin asked standing up to stretch.

"Seven," Raven added glancing back at the tickets. How was she going to break it to them she only had _four?_

"Ok Titans meet back here at six fully dressed."

The team nodded just as the music flipped over to start Ravens least favorite song. All of a sudden, she had a very bad feeling about it all.

* * *

"I found one! You must try this one on," Starfire floated about through the dressing rooms. The two girls had been in the mall for a good few hours. Starfire had already chosen a dress, the problem was Raven.

So far she had rejected every dress Starfire had handed her over the stall door. They were all too revealing, or too colorful.

Sighing Raven pulled off the latest dress. A bright orange piece that came to her knees it showed far too much in the front for her comfort.

"Fine throw it over," Raven chucked the orange monstrosity to the corner with the rest of the bright rejects.

She felt something land on her head. Sighing again she pulled it off to get a look at the next embarrassing garment.

Raven gasped getting a look at the dress. Her hands followed the thin straps to the silky dark material.

It was the same exact one she wore in her dream. In the well lit dressing room she could see it better though.

In fact it was a very dark purple, almost black. It came to about her thigh with extra dark blue pieces hanging off the end in a random assortment.

When the straps were securely on she backed up to look at herself in the dressing room mirror. The girl looking back at her was not who she was expecting.

"Starfire?" She called hoping her friend was still nearby.

"Yes?" Raven heard Star and unlatched the door.

"It's perfect," She said as she swung the door open to show her best friend.

* * *

"So is everyone ready?" Robin called from the hall. He was already dressed up finely in a black suit, that was left unbuttoned for a casual touch.

"Yep!" Beast Boy called joining his friend in the hall. He too was wearing black, though it didn't fit as nicely. The arms and legs were slightly too long and hid his own hands.

Raven could hear them downstairs. She pulled on her dress at last knowing Starfire was in the next room. They were the last to be dressed.

Raven found some nicer boots that went with the dress and pulled them on carefully lacing them up. She heard two of the boys downstairs calling for them.

Hastily she went without make-up simply pinning up some of her hair. She heard a door open on the floor where she knew Starfire to be dressing. Grabbing the tickets she left the room still stuck in thought.

She still hadn't told them about her lack of a ticket.

"Raven!" Starfire beamed at her and glided up. Before Raven could stop her the girl had her in a rib crushing hug.

"Star-" She choked out. Luckily Starfire pulled back smiling apologetically.

"You look marvelous!"

Raven finally looked over Starfire's dress. It was a long faded green that pulled out her eye color. It fit the tall girl amazingly well.

"So are you, ready?" Raven motioned toward the stairs where they were being summoned.

Starfire nodded her head and descended down the stairs first.

* * *

"Wow," Beast Boy looked from Raven to Starfire with amazement. It made both girls fidget uncomfortably.

"You guys clean up well," Beast Boy grinned earning a glare from Raven.

"You both look very nice," Robin complimented gazing over the two.

Starfire blushed and thanked the two. Raven simply nodded.

"Where's Cyborg?" Raven asked after a moment.

"I'm not going," A voice behind the four made them spin around. Cyborg was dressed normally scratching at the back of his neck.

"Friend, why not?" Starfire stepped forward a little, her dress creating a swishing noise.

"Ah it's not my kind of thing, I need to desperately get some present wrapping done anyway."

"You sure?" Robin asked next.

Cyborg nodded firmly before wishing them off. The other three left before Raven. Right before shutting the door she looked back to see Cyborg looking in her direction.

He smiled as if he knew something. Raven remembered the letter...

I'm one of the four that go.

So it wasn't Cyborg. Raven pushed back a strand of hair and smiled. Cyborg nodded and she shut the door behind herself. Outside she took a large breath before she heard the others calling from the t-car.

Robin or Beast Boy...

* * *

He watched her during the play. He'd set it up so Starfire and Raven sat in front of him and his male counterpart.

He had watched every motion she made throughout the play. Overall she seemed to enjoy herself, even snorting when the ten lords 'leaped'.

Raven pushed up the strap on her dress. He commended Starfire for helping her get such a perfect one. He was going to ask she wear it Christmas eve when she finally found out it was him.

Subconsciously he brushed a hand through his hair and smiled to himself. He knew she had paused at the door, and knew it wasn't Cyborg.

He watched Raven fidget with the ring on her finger, her eyes still on the play. He only had to wait two more days...

* * *

I bet you all were freakin out when I didn't update, hehe. So instead you get 2 chapters because I'm on xmas break!

And here's the first reviewer cut, it's not Cyborg, sorry! XD

Now she gets to contemplate-Beast Boy or Robin.

-hides under table from veges-

Thanks for reading/reviewing! Review on your way out!

-Dragonslayer527


	11. Pipers Piping

**Chapter 11: Pipers Piping**

_On the eleventh day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Eleven pipers piping,  
Ten lords a-leaping,  
Nine ladies dancing,  
Eight maids a-milking,  
Seven swans a-swimming,  
Six geese a-laying,  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree._

Raven could see two ropes and knew she had to grab one. The rock under her feet was crumbling. It was rumbling and going to give out any second.

There was a green rope and a red one. And Raven couldn't decide which to grab.

The rocks began to slip away. Choose, red or green...

In a hurry she went to grab one. Her footing slipped and she fell, missing the rope. Into the darkness she faded, the ropes gone.

Raven jumped back into her body. The jolt set her sitting upright.

The Titan alarm was ringing and her communicator was already beeping. Grabbing a cloak she snapped it on and created a portal to downstairs.

One last look at her room and she still couldn't remember. Which rope had she grabbed?

Raven stepped in letting the black envelop her form.

* * *

"Turn here," Robin commanded next to Cyborg in the car. Cyborg swerved almost hitting a black van.

In the back Starfire squeaked and clenched Beast Boys arm. Raven watched in amusement as the skin turned a weird purple color.

"Ok guys its just Johnny Rancid looking for some more holiday change. But there are reports he may have a hostage." Robin informed the rest of them as the car was pulled up and stopped in front of a bank.

The five got out just as Rancid was getting on his bike.

"Titans, go!" Robin called his usual catch phrase and everyone sprang into action.

Raven summoned some power to pause the bike. They couldn't have him getting away now. Beast Boy had changed into a green rodent in an attempt to sneak up on the biker.

"Anyone makes a move and the girl gets it!" Johnny yelled producing a knife. The young girl in his possession yelped.

The brunette looked frightened as the knife settled just at her neck. Using one of his hands he had pinned her arms behind her back. The titans paused formulating a new strategy.

"Let my bike down," He growled motioning to the glowing black tires. Raven took a quick glance over to Robin.

"Now!" He spat shaking the girl a little. She cried out, the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

Robin nodded his head ever so slightly in the direction of Johnny. Starfire was somewhere behind the bike floating and Cyborg had his cannon charged waiting as well.

She spotted the green rat next to the tire.

Carefully she released the grasp on the tired and the engine revved. Johnny Rancid laughed and forcibly pulled the girl onto the bike, knife still steady in place.

Raven watched Robin a second longer. Just as Johnny put his hand on the bars his head nodded slightly.

Her gaze turned to see a giant T-rex form. It had been under the bike and the boys growth had caused it to flip off the riders.

Unfortunately for the villain he was left some distance from his hostage and knife. Raven sighed using her powers to levitate the man as a police car arrived.

"Well done," Robin smiled at everyone who nodded.

"That was really good, I didn't know Beast Boy was so smart," Cyborg teased heading for the car.

Beast Boy nodded proudly a second. "Hey wait a second-" He growled and ran after Cyborg. Starfire giggled and followed with Robin.

Raven looked from Beast Boy to Robin. If she had to choose, who would it be?

* * *

Back in the tower the titans took to resting. The call had been early cutting off a few hours of sleep for many of the titans.

Cyborg and Robin lounged on the couch while Beast Boy played a vicious video game round with himself. Starfire poked at the television screen every few minutes asking what the graphics were.

Raven sat a little ways away from everyone with a book. Again, she wasn't actually reading it. These days she couldn't get her mind away from it. It was borderline obsession.

She hated it was something she couldn't simply solve.

Raven watched Beast Boy playing his game a while. He was more carefree and light spirited. Sometimes he seemed to like her with his obsessive nagging and jokes. She was never truly sure though, he had had such a thing going for Terra...

She shifted her gaze to the leader. Now that would be strange. If any two titans were most distant it was the two of them. She knew he had secrets like she did. He was the careful and dark leader who put work before pleasure. But everyone in the tower knew he had a thing for Starfire, right?

There was a noise to her right that shook her attention. Lowering her book her eyes landed on a toy.

It was a small wind up piper boy toy. Its melody followed in a light rhythm. Raven made sure no one was looking before quickly getting up.

She walked over and grabbed the toy. Just as she did the wind up stopped.

Something else started up. Ravens eyes followed up a little further. Another had just started its melody.

Pressing a hand to her temple she followed the toy and grabbed it.

Raven spotted another at the bottom of the stairs. Quickly snatching it she heard another start at the top of the stairs.

She bit at her lip cursing in her head. A trail of pipers piping. She grabbed the forth from the top of the stairs and the fifth from in the hall.

She had to levitate the toys when the sixth and seventh lead her up some more stairs. Eight and nine lead her down another hall.

Raven stopped to pick up number ten. It was sitting outside one of the vacant tower rooms.

Raven gripped the door handle and pushed it open. There were two candles lit inside. She followed the bare walls to the middle of the room. There was a small table set up with a green and red candle as well as a white rose, the eleventh piper piping was beside the rose.

Raven picked up the rose feeling the soft pedals in her fingers. She spotted a piece of paper where the rose was laying. Pulling it up she unfolded it.

Dearest Raven,

One more day. Disappointed it's almost over?

-An Admirer

Her hands roamed over the rose petals while her thoughts swallowed her. There was only one day left. Tomorrow was Christmas eve. Raven passed a hand through her hair. She was _not_ disappointed it was almost over.

Raven moved a hand over the two candles putting them out. In the darkness she grabbed the last piper and turned to leave.

* * *

The rest of the day Raven roamed the halls. Ever so often she'd stop and touch the glowing spirited lights or pull off some garland.

The whole time she was thinking.

She took each day and compared if it had been Beast Boy. She logically thought out each gift on how he could have gotten it done.

Then she took Robin and did the same.

By the end she was no closer to getting it. He had made it seem as though they were both equal subjects.

Raven contemplated getting advice. She wanted to get a females opinion, but that somehow didn't seem right. She couldn't ask Starfire about her thoughts the girl would be suspicious of her asking about Robin.

Changing her direction she made a decision, it was time to get some advice from Cyborg.

* * *

"See I wanted to know, well..." Raven stood near the metal man. He was working on his car, trying to replace the engine with a better model.

"Raven," The boy huffed and stood back up. His height towered over the girl. "Just say it."

"Could Beast Boy or Robin like me?" Raven tried more bluntly crossing her arms.

Cyborg cringed. "Well I guess, I mean anyone can like anyone right?"

"Which one would be the most likely candidate?"

Cyborg paused a second thinking to himself. "Honestly Raven, I don't know."

Raven gave a frustrated sigh.

"Were you expecting me to say Beast Boy?"

Raven met his eye. "Yes." She answered before looking back at the floor.

"Sorry, romance is not as simple to figure out." Cyborg pulled up a chair and sat down. "Why the interrogation?"

"I have a hunch one of them likes me." Raven moved to take up a seat.

"How do you feel about it?"

Raven smirked looking up at Cyborg. "You sound like a shrink." Cyborg grinned and nodded for her to continue. "It makes me mad I don't know who it is and that they are getting the better of me."

"No, no, no, would you ever go out with either of them?" Cyborg leaned forward pinning her with an intense gaze.

She shifted her eyes to the ground knowing already she'd wasted too much time. "Never!" She answered coldly not looking at the meta-human.

Cyborg smiled to himself spotting a lie.

"I should be going." Raven looked at him finally getting up from her chair. "You know Cyborg, they say opposites attract."

"They also say similarities last Raven."

Raven gave him a quizzical look before turning to leave. Men were defiantly more confusing than women...

* * *

Later that night somewhere in the tower he laid back on his bed. A white rose petal was pinned between his fingers. He watched it mesmerized a moment.

Tomorrow he'd see her.

He only wanted one thing for Christmas this year.

The petal slipped from his hand to land on the shadowed carpet. He'd seen Cyborg giving him funny looks at dinner. Cyborg also gave the same look to the other male titan.

Raven's admirer turned over on his bed to he was laying on his stomach. She must have went to him for help. By the way he had looked at both of them he knew Raven was still unsure.

Keep her in suspense until the end.

He closed his eyes imagining the next night. Everything was all set, there was just the last clue to put in place. The last gift to set up.

He glanced over to the other wall. The last gift sat waiting for its use.

Beside him he spotted his color candle. A perfect Christmas color. Wouldn't she be surprised?

**

* * *

**

**Hehe. One left guys! One more and I get massive amounts of fruit thrown at me. -laughs-**

**I'm contemplating withholding the last chapter for like a week, just to drive you all mad.**

**Thanks for all reviews, you all make me so happy (and slightly threatened .) Review on your way out and I just _might_ post the last ch quickly!**

**-Dragonslayer527**


	12. Drummers Drumming

**(Because all of the reviews made me laugh so hysterically and feel so absolutely honored, I give you…the last chapter. It took a little longer because it had to be PERFECT!)**

**Chapter 12: Lords a Leaping**

_On the twelfth day of Christmas,  
my true love sent to me  
Twelve drummers drumming,  
Eleven pipers piping,  
Ten lords a-leaping,  
Nine ladies dancing,  
Eight maids a-milking,  
Seven swans a-swimming,  
Six geese a-laying,  
Five golden rings,  
Four calling birds,  
Three French hens,  
Two turtle doves,  
And a partridge in a pear tree!_

Consciousness came to Raven after a night of dreamless sleep. Sitting up she glanced at her clock, 7:42.

It was Christmas Eve, the last day of her gifts.

Raven took a moment to look around her room. Evidence of the last few days was everywhere.

Ebony fluttered her small wings perched on a dead pear tree. Three French Hens cookbooks were tucked into her bookcase beside the music box of nine ladies dancing. Four stuffed calling birds were scattered about her floor, each time she had tried to get rid of them they ended up back in her room.

She twirled the amethyst ring about her finger. Both the swans and geese had been taken care of; Raven was still soul owner of nine pails of milk though.

Four used ticket stubs littered her floor as well, just below her dress that was hanging in her closet. Lastly on a shelf she had left the eleven pipers piping.

Today was twelve drummers drumming.

Ebony flew over and landed on her shoulder. Raven didn't mind. She grabbed a cloak and headed for the shower.

* * *

"Ooh Raven, what is that creature?" Starfire asked when Raven had made it downstairs. Ebony still rested on her shoulder pecking ever so often at her cape. 

"It's a raven,"

"But aren't you a Raven?" The girl asked and adjusted the two bows in her hair. One was red, one was green.

"Raven is my name. This species of bird is a raven, her name is Ebony."

"Nice to make your acquaintance Ebony." Starfire smiled at the bird that bluntly ignored the shimmering alien. "Friend, why do you have an Ebony?"

"It was a gift." Raven moved past Starfire into the kitchen to get some tea.

Starfire followed her right on in. "A gift, from whom?"

"I'm going to find that out later." Raven grabbed a mug and proceeded mixing in her hot water.

Her spoon spun around in the now dark liquid. Starfire was standing nearby rummaging through the blue frosted refrigerator. In the next room music started.

"Turn that off Starfire, it's too early." Raven added absentmindedly taking a sip of her herbal tea.

"I did not turn on the music." Starfire's voice was still in the room.

Raven could hear the main part of the song start. It was a chorus of drumming. Pushing back a strand of hair she forcibly made herself find the source of the sound.

It was next to the Christmas tree playing as if on it's own. The drumming had hit midpoint, Raven didn't need to research to know there was probably twelve drummers.

She hit the stop on the player. Summoning her magic the device was unplugged and moved away from the outlet. Underneath had been a piece of paper.

Recognizing it she bent and picked it up. The last note. Ebony fidgeted still on her shoulder.

She unfolded the parchment feeling dread and relief at the same time.

Dearest Raven,

I will meet you at midnight on the roof. Wear that dress of yours.

Merry Christmas.

-An Admirer

Raven stared at the letters a few seconds longer memorizing the print. She was going to find him at midnight. Just like her dream.

"What's that?" A familiar voice came behind her.

Quickly she crumbled the note in the palm of her hand and turned to face Robin. "Just a Christmas card."

"Oh yes, finally it's Christmas Eve." Robin stepped a bit closer but sat down on the couch.

"Finally?" Raven raised an eyebrow marking down the conversation.

"Well yea, do you know how hard it is to do the whole leader thing while worrying about Christmas gifts for everyone?"

"You didn't need to get me anything." Raven said more out of reflex.

"I did anyway." Robin looked in Raven's direction, she thought for a moment he was looking at her. Turning she realized the tree was behind her. A few red wrapped boxes sat neatly beside some messy green ones.

Raven suddenly felt guilty. He had probably gotten her something she'd love, and Raven had only gotten him a book. But what did you get for someone who had almost everything?

"Nice bird," He commented at last about the raven on her shoulder. Ebony bobbed her head slightly.

"It was a Christmas gift for myself," Raven lied smoothly. Somehow Robin didn't seem to notice.

"So what did you get the others?" Robin picked back up the conversation.

"A mall gift certificate for Starfire, a tofu cookbook for Beast Boy, some video game memory chips for Cyborg."

Robin nodded seeming very distracted.

"Morning!" Came the voice that could only match one other titan. Raven pressed a hand to her temple; Robin was confusing her enough she didn't need to deal with Beast Boy as well.

"Hey Raven, ready for tonight?" He grinned passing her. "Nice bird by the way."

Raven immediately grabbed his arm and spun him around. "What?" She hissed looking him straight in the eyes.

"I asked if you were ready for tonight, you know, Christmas Eve, we get to open one of our presents early!" Beast Boy smiled like a little kid. "And I asked about your bird?"

Raven sighed and quickly let go of him. "It's nothing," she answered quietly. Beast Boy gave her a last look and left into the kitchen, leaving Raven to drown herself in an ocean of headaches. That could have been a very obvious clue, or some twisted ironic-

"You ok?" Robin spoke just near the girl. Raven didn't bother to turn and look at him.

"Fine." Clenching her fist a little tighter she made for her room. If she was going to meet him tonight she needed a long meditation time. That, or she'd probably strangle him upon meeting.

She couldn't have that; he deserved a slow and gruesomely painful death.

* * *

Raven paced about her room. She had gotten through a few good hours of meditation before the downstairs music had been turned up. It was nearing dinnertime, the hours were counting down. 

And Raven was incredibly anxious.

She had tidied her room, organized her books, and washed Ebony. All she had left to do was join the rest of them for dinner and open their one gift.

She paced again, this time stepping over her raven that was preening its shiny clean feathers. Downstairs a pop version of Jingle Bells had started.

Raven adjusted her cloak feeling a rush of bravery. She could get through this. Everything would be fine.

She made for her door before the emotion was tamed and harnessed.

Downstairs the full festivities of the season were in bloom. All of Starfire's lighting were plugged in, including the tree, giving the impression of daylight throughout the tower.

Raven had to sidestep quickly to avoid crashing into a jovial Starfire who was haphazardly dancing with her eyes snapped shut.

"Raven!" Cyborg stuck his head out of the kitchen yelling over the music at her. He motioned her over and she was quick to oblige, Starfire was coming back her way.

"I'm sticking you with kitchen duty, I've got to run out for some last minute food. Just make sure he doesn't burn anything." Cyborg pointed at a bustling Beast Boy.

Raven groaned to herself, but nodded in agreement. The meta-human spared her a smile before dashing out of the room. The half-demon turned to find Beast Boy attacking the stove clad in a 'real men wear aprons' get-up.

"What are you doing?" She asked almost afraid to know.

"Raven! Get it out, it's going to burn!" He wailed pointing at the stove.

Raven pulled the door open and sent her powers to work. It only took a simple move and the chicken was out and cooling. Raven truly doubted it was genuine meat though.

"Thanks!" Beast Boy grinned fanning the smoking food.

"Whatever." Raven moved to take a seat at the table. Before he had a chance to say anything she levitated the silverware and plates onto the table.

The clock across the kitchen read 6:38.

* * *

"Alright, everyone pick one." Cyborg finally allowed the group to dig into the presents. Only after dinner was finished and properly put away were presents allowed to be touched. 

Beast Boy dove in first and grabbed one of the darkly wrapped ones she had gotten for him. Starfire laughed and grabbed the bright red one while Cyborg grabbed a sloppy green one.

Raven decided on a present from Starfire and Robin grabbed the conspicuous book shaped one Raven had given to him.

Raven unwrapped hers slowly and carefully while the boys and Starfire ripped theirs apart.

"Wonderful! A…" Starfire turned her box over, the pieces shifted inside it.

"It's a puzzle," Robin informed smiling over the peppy alien.

"A thousand thank you's friend Robin, for such a gift." Starfire beamed at Robin before turning back to her present. She still didn't know exactly how it worked…

"Yes! A tofu cookbook!" Beast Boy held up the chaptered literature like it was a holy icon for a moments grinning.

"Commando Monkeys 4? Don't we have this game?" Cyborg held the suspiciously familiar game giving Beast Boy a look.

"Would you believe the video game stores aren't open on Christmas Eve?" Beast Boy scratched at his head inching away from the metal man.

"Angels and Demons?" Robin read over the book title before turning it over to read the back cover. Raven felt the guilt seep back in. She didn't want to know what was sitting under the tree from him. "This was the one you were reading last week, I heard it was good, thank you." Robin gave her a genuine smile.

"You're welcome." Raven responded automatically. At least he'd heard of it.

"Thanks for the cook book Raven." Beast Boy called from across the room, Cyborg was still glaring at him.

Raven nodded and turned her eyes down to her lap. Pulling off the rest of the wrapping paper she found something that had been giftedly crafted from wrought iron.

"The man said it was a holder of candles," Starfire piped from across the room. Raven followed the curves; it was a candleholder, and a beautiful one at that.

"Thank you very much Starfire," Raven gave the girl a small smile before discarding the wrapping paper.

"I'm going to go put this in my room," Raven stood up. Beast Boy ran past her with the cookbook heading for the kitchen.

Raven rolled her eyes and grabbed the candleholder. She only looked back when she was standing at the stairs.

Cyborg was cleaning up the wrapping paper mess while Starfire dumped the puzzle pieces onto the carpet. Robin had opened the book and was reading.

Raven ascended the stairs. The nearby clock read 8:48.

* * *

Raven pulled on her dress. In her dark room the illuminated clock read 11:03. Raven was jittery despite all the meditation she had done. 

Across the room some of her candles were burning on her new candleholder. Ebony was nearby relishing in the warmth and light the candles provided.

She turned back to look at herself in the mirror. Raven could not believe she was wearing a dress, again. What had possessed her to do so?

The ring glimmered on her finger while Silent Night played on downstairs. All of the titans were downstairs she knew. Yet she didn't know how long until her admirer would leave to get ready.

But Raven wasn't going downstairs to make things more difficult for him. No, he'd get his misery soon enough.

She paced the floor again. Her room was silent beside the crackle of the flames and Ebony's rustling. Every few moments she would check her clock.

Christmas was drawing near.

When the clock hit 11:30 Raven decided it was time to get up there. After all she was the first up there in her dreams.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." She chanted opening a black void that would lead her to the roof. She didn't want to run the chance of anyone catching her in the hall. She didn't want anyone disturbing them at midnight.

* * *

Raven stepped out of the portal to a breezy night. The wind rustled at her dress but not chilling her skin. 

She moved across the roof, her footsteps echoing. The starlight above was the only real light, there was no moon.

When Raven reached the opposite end from the door she sat down on the ledge. She figured it had to be a little after 11:30. She brushed back her hair that had been taken captive by the wind.

She had about twenty minutes.

Raven closed her eyes and chanted a few minutes. She needed a cool and calm indifference. She needed to be ready for whichever one of them it was.

When she found her center she kept her eyes closed. Her ears picked up on every sound the wind made. She waited, almost as if in a trance.

Somewhere in the distance there was cheering. Raven opened her eyes. It must be Christmas.

Her hands gripped the fringe of her dress to keep it from fluttering, not that she was nervous.

Raven heard the door creak. There was a click followed by the swish of a door opening. Raven swallowed a large breath of air.

She heard light footsteps coming her way. The darkness still hid him.

Raven leaned forward a bit, she knew this time she wasn't going to fall. The figure stepped forward; she could just about see the outline.

"Merry Christmas Raven," he finally had stepped close enough she could see him.

Raven gasped and stood up. Any previous planning had just left her.

She was standing, face to face with none other than Robin.

"Robin?" Raven asked still trying to sort it out.

"Yes?" He smirked at her confusion.

"Care to explain?" Raven folded her arms regaining a small amount of distance.

"Alright, you might want to take a seat, this might take a while…" He trailed off. Raven sat down while Robin took to pacing in front of her. Raven noticed he was wearing his dress-clothes again. She was still trying to muster some anger to take out on him.

"Um I guess I should just go in order. I went out and got you a raven and a pear tree and left them at your door."

"Her name is Ebony," Raven supplied.

"Right, then I left you those two doves, which you set free."

"They clashed with my room," Raven defended.

"I also brushed some green garland in Beast Boy's hair when he wasn't looking and conveniently left a large packet of bows for Cyborg to find in one of the boxes of Christmas stuff."

Raven mumbled to herself.

"Then I figured, enough birds, and I found a cookbook with ironically the same name. I stuck garland strands in the book, my red one was on page twelve, but I guess you didn't notice."

"It fell out of the book." Raven interjected.

"On the fourth day all I could find was those toys, they always seemingly made it back to your room, eh? I made sure I was absent most of the day with Starfire to throw you off, I was actually teaching her how to play cards. We played in Cyborg's room, so he kept leaving the room to check on us. Turns out Beast Boy added a detective clue in there which worked to my advantage."

"Only playing cards?" Raven smirked at the boy.

Robin stopped his pacing for half a second. "Yes, **just** cards. On the fifth day I set up the music early morning because I noticed you were still quite clueless."

"I'd never heard the song before." She pointed out glaring at the rooftop.

"So when you journeyed down I snuck the box into your room. It was only later that day I found your bird wandering the halls of the tower. I also hid some metal from Cyborg and asked for it for a project I was working on knowing he'd mention it to you."

"And make him seem more guilty?"

"Exactly." Robin pushed a hand through his hair recalling his tales. "The next day I left the bird in Beast Boys room knowing it would awaken him, I left a feather or two on my shirt to incriminate myself as well."

"Clever,"

"Day seven I dumped all Beast Boy's tofu out so he had to go to the store and left Cyborg's body cooler in your hallway. On the eighth day I ordered for eight maids at the door, that was a stroke of brilliance, you were quite angry."

"Well it's not every day you get people leaving milk!" Raven hissed. "Not to mention you kept demanding to know what was going on."

Robin laughed. "Day nine I gave Starfire the idea of star pancakes and she passed it on to Beast Boy. Later I made sure to turn up the heat so they would combust while you were in the vicinity. I also had to rig the video game to get a certain score, it worked, but Cyborg noticed when he had not won by more…"

"Mmmhmm," Raven was deep in thought still thinking.

"The tenth day I left the envelope of tickets when I knew Beast Boy would be going by and asked Cyborg stay to watch over the tower while we went to the performance. I think by then he kind of knew what was going on."

Raven moved her eyes back to watch him. All that trouble.

"Finally yesterday I left you a rose and two candles one mine, one Beast Boy's color. And today, well you know."

Robin took a deep breath finally finished. So there it was.

"Robin, I came up here to brutally maul my 'admirer' you must know that." Raven stood up and smoothed out her dress.

"I know," He smiled and stepped toward the girl.

"Then why?" Raven asked out of pure curiosity.

"Why the whole admirer thing?" Raven nodded. "When I looked at you, you were the one mystery my skills couldn't solve. So I decided my Christmas gift to you would be the one mystery you could not solve alone." Robin smiled again.

"But Robin-"

"What? Raven I know you've thought of this, you've had twelve days to think about how you felt about each one of the male titans. That's what I wanted, you had a fair shot to, whether you wanted or not, think about them romantically."

"I just never expected you."

"You expected Beast Boy." Robin bit at his lip with a slight uncertainty.

"Yes, I did. It would have made it so much easier because I simply would have kicked his ass, he's nothing more than a friend."

Her response met silence for a moment. Finally Robin spoke.

"So, Raven what do you think of me?" Robin placed both hands on her shoulders and Raven was forced to look at him.

"I think…" Raven's mind was working in overdrive. Memories, thoughts, ideas, dreams sprang into her head. It was trying to form sentences, words, anything.

Raven's dream was pulled up like a mental movie. She had gone for the red rope. She had gone for it too late.

Raven pushed his arms off her shoulders. For a second Robin looked confused, almost betrayed.

Then she kissed him.

It was short lived, her lips pressed to his, but the message was clear. Raven pulled back to see Robin grinning.

"So the twelve days of torture was worth it?" Robin asked putting an arm around her shoulder.

Raven eyed it dangerously and he quickly removed it. "Maybe."

"Maybe? So you think this could work?"

"I think you're a little eccentric for putting this all together." Raven stepped ahead of him heading for the door.

"Ooh not going to give me straight answers anymore?" Robin followed her to the door.

Raven turned back to give him a hidden look. "You think solving a mystery is that easy?" With that she spared him a strange smile and descended the stairs.

Robin smirked and hummed a familiar tune before following the dark beauty down the stairs.

* * *

The end! -Ducks large amounts of food and bovine- Sorry everyone voting for Beast Boy, it was Robin!

Over 400 reviews, my mail overflowed when I hinted I might hold out on you all. All my readers/reviews for this story are awesome!! (even though I'm sure many are angry). -Candy canes for all-

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, I don't want any flames for the coupling, you hear? Only flame if I messed up something somewhere.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

-Dragonslayer527

P.S. Nova-Janna is doing a Harry Potter story using the idea ("12 Days of Hermoine Racking Her Brain"). If you like HP go check it out!

Also Sirius-Lover-1 will be doing a Inuyasha story using the idea, go check it out when she gets it up!


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